


This Is All I Know How To Say

by Daxii



Category: Free!
Genre: Alpha Creed: Brotherhood, Alpha!Haru, Alpha!Sou, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta!Ai, Beta!Gou, Beta!Kisumi, Beta!Nagisa, Beta!Rei, Birthday Parties, Blow Jobs, Bromance, CUDDLEBUG, Cuddles, Fluff, I regret my entire existence because of this thing, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Momo's anus, Omega!Momo, Omega!Rin, Omegaverse, Pack Life, Smut, SouMomo will be the death of me, alpha!makoto, and the wife, care, except Sou, it was supposed to be a oneshot, protective Haru, the inside joke everyone wants to get out of, third attempt at a retitle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-13 22:08:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 42,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3398021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daxii/pseuds/Daxii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto isn't sure where he stands.<br/>Haru's better at this than he thinks.<br/>Momo's presenting.<br/>Kisumi's getting in the way.<br/>Sou needs all the help he can get.<br/>And Rin just wants to be loved. </p><p>(previously "Making it Better" and "Instinct")</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maybeillride](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybeillride/gifts).



“Does it hurt, Rin?” Makoto asks, full of concern for his friend.

He’s sitting with Rin and Haruka in Haruka’s lounge, watching TV and idly musing over some homework during a hot, lazy Saturday, getting some time in with their redheaded friend before he goes into heat later in the week. Both Alpha teens can smell it on him, but it’s not making them _desperate_ , not yet anyway. It gives a new flavour to the air, a sweet tang of his slick lingering in the air as his body prepares itself for his heat. His rectum is slackening and the flesh inside thickening out to protect him from tearing if he were to be penetrated, and Rin is obviously uncomfortable.

He shoots a scowl at Makoto and tries to adjust himself sitting with his legs crossed, but ultimately winds up on his knees to relieve some of the pressure. Makoto looks on with sympathy, and goes to make a move to comfort him but –

“Come here, Rin,” Haruka’s voice carries the distinct tenor of an Alpha that Makoto has yet to develop, and Rin is unable to refuse, even as he glares at his friend for forcing him over.

Makoto _could_ step in, claim the Omega for himself or just keep Haruka off him, but Haru’s so much _better_ at this whole Alpha business that he decides it’s probably in Rin’s best interests to go to him anyway. Even though Makoto presented first, Haru _is_ that little bit older, and ultimately has an attitude much more in line with that of an adult Alpha anyway. Makoto, as far as everyone is concerned, seems more akin to an Omega than anything else.

Rin scoffs bitterly, even as Haruka guides him gently to lean his back against his chest, sitting between his legs. “How did _you_ get to be an Alpha, Makoto? I think we should swap. I’d be _much_ better at this. There’s no way I should be an Omega, why did this happen?” he grumbles.

Haruka nips his cheek and he whimpers. “Probably because you’re such a cry baby,” he teases gently, wrapping his arms around the reluctantly submissive teen and beginning to lick at the scent glands on his neck, just on the underside of his jaw.

Rin can’t help it, he _purrs_ at the feeling, rolling his head back onto Haruka’s shoulder so he has better access to lick. Makoto smiles over at them. He can feel the bubble of jealousy sitting in his stomach, the unpleasant foreboding that one day he will _resent_ Haruka for this, that he will probably _fight_ Haruka for this, but for now, the guilt just thinking about that brings him is far worse than anything he feels about Haruka claiming Rin, especially with how much happier Rin obviously is with this pampering. Makoto could _never_ have been so bold. He’d have probably tried for a wimpy little hug and just made Rin even more uncomfortable, because there was no doubt he’d get an erection. He’s been half hard all day just from the _smell_.

“You can’t cum just from me _licking_ you, Rin,” Haruka says, sounding exasperated.

Rin is writhing and sweating all the same though, and Makoto can’t _believe_ how calm Haruka is while the Omega goes to pieces in his arms.

“I can if I want to,” Rin snaps, but takes a deep breath to calm down. “Just give me a minute… it’s… nice,” he blushes.

“It’s _meant to be_ , idiot,” Haru scolds, but lets up to take a drink anyway, giving Rin his moment.

He rubs at his neck, massaging his glands which are already slightly swollen with his upcoming heat. Despite how worked up he is now, Haru’s pampering has definitely done its job, the Alpha’s pheromones mixing so closely with his that his rectum is _forced_ to relax, and it’s just a general pain reliever at the same time. Feeling more collected, he leans back against the Alpha, inviting him to carry on. It’s probably a bit cheeky, really, he’d never get away with his with an adult Alpha, but Haruka obliges him immediately, nursing him tenderly and softly without even a hint of arousal.

“What are heats like in boarding school anyway, Rin?” Makoto asks, conversationally, even impressing himself with how little he’s being distracted by Haruka’s ministrations.

“ _Awful_ ,” Rin groans, and both Alphas snap their heads up in concern. “No, guys, chill,” Rin laughs, nudging Haruka to make him keep licking while he settles back to bask. “It’s just _boring_ , that’s all. I can’t even go swimming or anything, because there’s so many Alphas on the team and I don’t have…”

He doesn’t need to finish, even though he can’t because he’s turned bright red again.

Haruka is the first to catch his breath from what he’s said. “You could just _get_ a mate, Rin.”

“But I want it to be someone _special_ ,” he whines. Haruka folds his arms around him protectively, his tone of voice kicking an instinct into action.

“You’re such a hopeless romantic, too,” Haruka muses, mind wandering back to Rin’s earlier whinging.

Makoto watches them. He can’t say he hasn’t been _waiting_ for this to happen, and he’s definitely relieved the two are starting to make progress before he and Haruka fully mature and become rivals.

“You could just ask someone to mark you?” he suggests, trying to direct them. “You know, someone you trust.”

“But that’s _embarrassing_ … switch sides?” he glances up at Haruka, who just nods and complies, licking the glands on the other side of his neck and drawing out a fresh full body shudder from Rin.

Makoto decides that pointing out how much Rin is embarrassing himself right now would be awfully rude, and gives up on the stubborn teen as a lost cause. At least Haruka’s buttons are easier to press.

“Don’t you agree though, Haru? I mean… I know you’ve got friends on the swim team and all, Rin, and they wouldn’t _mean_ to hurt you but… it’s just that extra layer, isn’t it? A final barrier of _protection_ ,” he stresses the final word, and it catches Haru so off guard that he accidentally nips at Rin’s neck, thankfully just missing the sensitive gland.

“Careful!” Rin hisses.

“Sorry,” Haru mumbles, licking the little tooth mark soothingly, and then going back to his neck and glands.

Rin closes his eyes, almost curling against Haru in his enjoyment of the attention. With his tongue still lapping away, Haru catches Makoto’s eye and gives him a long look, trying to read what he’s hinting at. With a blink of realisation, Haru closes his eyes too, licking more feverishly, waggling his tongue and producing so much saliva Rin’s collar is starting to get damp.

Suddenly, Rin jerks forwards. “You _pervert!_ ” he yells.

“Oh deal with it,” Haruka chides. “You’re the one practically cumming in your pants.”

He uses a firm but not controlling hand to push Rin back against him so he can continue to lick him, even though it’s probably not having any effect other than turning them both on at this point, but Haru’s not using any sort of Alpha force.

Why can’t they see how obvious it is?

Makoto goes for a different angle.

“What about Sousuke? He’s your best friend, after all.”

Haruka _growls_.

“N-no…” Rin stammers, a little alarmed by Haru but at the same time falling into that blissful security a protective Alpha radiates. “I can’t… not with him. Not like that.”

“Ahh,” Makoto teases. “So do you like someone else?”

Rin’s doing a hell of a lot of blushing this afternoon.

Haruka has such a fierce look of determination in his eye that Makoto decides he should leave. He makes an excuse about needing to shower Rin’s scent off before his parents come home and mock him, leaving the pair cuddled up on the living room floor.

 

Haruka continues to lick even when Rin props a text book up on his knees to read, melting into Haru like a mattress, occasionally switching which of his shoulders he lays his head on, so Haru can lick each side of his neck in turn. Neither of them say a word, until Rin’s phone vibrates with a reminder that the most convenient train leaves Iwatobi in half an hour, otherwise he’ll be waiting another two and end up missing dinner.

“Rin…” Haru starts, clutching onto the Omega who starts to move off him. “Is it… scary? When you’re in heat in the dorms?” he asks quietly.

Rin thinks for a minute and contemplates lying, but the Alpha will only see right through him.

“Uh… a little. It’s not so bad when Ai’s in the room too, but otherwise… in like class and stuff, when everyone just _knows_ … it’s… yeah. Scary.”

Haruka says nothing, and gives a few more lazy licks to Rin’s neck, contemplating.

“Rin…” he makes him turn around, just enough so he can lock his eyes. “I’m going to mark you.”

The tone is unarguably Alpha, and Rin barely has the willpower to fight his head bowing on instinct.

“Right,” he says, resigned, but there’s also a little relief there.

Makoto was right. Makoto was _always_ right.

He tilts his head back willingly, expecting Haruka’s neck to lock with his but Haru makes no move. Opening the eyes he didn’t know he’d closed, Rin looks at him, obviously concentrating very hard on something.

“Properly,” he says, and casts his eyes downwards, the kid still inside him a little ashamed that his developing Alpha instincts want, no, _need_ to take it his far.

“Right,” Rin repeats, blushing, and scoots back a few inches so Haru can stand up.

He unzips his jeans quickly, getting it over with as fast as possible seems to be the least awkward and embarrassing route.

“I’ve… not done this before,” he admits, pulling his raging Alpha cock through the fly and half-heartedly stroking it.

Rin’s eyes bulge out on stalks, and he promptly closes them before he completely loses it.

Haru presses the head of his cock against Rin’s glands and strokes a little more, trying to coax himself along. Suddenly he gasps, grunts, and there’s a small spray of a mix of semen and urine covering Rin’s glands. Barely a tea spoon’s worth, but the scent is pungent. He squirts again on the other side, and quickly tucks back in.

“This is gross,” Rin moans, wiping up the excess with the hem of his top. “Lend me a clean shirt.”

“I will,” Haru says apologetically. “But you should sleep in that one, when you’re in heat.”

It makes sense. It’s _gross_. But it makes sense.

“I bet I fucking stink like fish, Haru. I have a train to get on, you know.”

“It’s supposed to… you know, _absorb_ in a couple of hours….”

“I’ll miss dinner.”

“I’ll make you something.”

“Not mackerel.”

Haruka almost growls at the argumentative Omega. But it’s Rin, so he can make an exception.

“I think I have some chicken?”

 

They eat quietly, letting the intensity of the moment wash over them and eventually relaxing comfortably with each other’s light conversation and endless banter.

“I’m walking you home,” Haruka declares.

It’s dark outside now, and the route to the station is known to be littered with sleazy, outcast Alphas and even some depraved Betas. Rin wants to scowl, argue that he’s _fine_ by himself, but he doesn’t. He’s stubborn, but he’s not an idiot.

“How do I smell?” he asks, tipping his head back.

Haruka leans in and takes a whiff, a smile springing to his face that catches Rin a little off guard.

“Like… mine,” he breathes in again, revelling in it.

“It’s not too strong or anything?”

Haru shakes his head.

With a borrowed tank top and the scent soiled one zipped away in his satchel, Rin and Haruka head for the station. No one even gives them a passing glance. Just a young Alpha walking with his mate. Apparent mate, anyway.

“So I’ll see you later then?” Rin asks as the train pulls in.

Haruka looks confused, and steps on ahead of him. “I said I’m walking you home.”

Sitting on the plastic coated train seats sparks a new wave of discomfort in Rin’s nether regions, and Haruka notices instantly.

“Let me?” he offers, sliding his arm around Rin’s shoulders.

Rin accepts, leaning into Haru who dips down to lick his glands again. It’s a bit embarrassing, being so public, but the late train is pretty empty, and it’s hardly an unusual sight. Rin tastes different now, but not bad.

Rin doesn’t even say anything when Haruka walks right up to his dorm room with him.

“Rin-senpai!” Aiichirou squeaks as he enters his room. “And… Nanase-san?” quite rightfully, he shoots Rin a _look._

“It’s not what you think,” Rin insists, even as Haru starts to sniff around the room, particularly at the door. “Haru… you don’t need to –”

But it’s too late, Haru has whipped out his cock and squirted along the threshold. He rounds on Rin’s pillow.

“No! No, no, no, no _no!_ ” Rin almost shouts, and Haruka’s throat grumbles at the Omega’s refusal, hard dick still dangling between his legs. Rin takes a breath. “I’ve got that shirt, anyway.”

Haru nods and calms down, realising that Rin’s roommate is watching them suspiciously, and he has his cock out. He quickly tucks away, mumbling an apology to the Beta boy. He turns to Rin.

“You can text me if you… uh… need a top up.”

The scent should linger in Rin’s glands for five days. His heat is due in three. The door will stay scented for at least ten though.

“You’ll actually have your phone on?” Rin scoffs.

“ _Yes_ ,” Haruka insists, slapping Rin’s joke in the face with his seriousness.

They stand awkwardly in the door. Quickly, without warning or time to think about his decision, Haruka sweeps in and brushes his nose against Rin’s.

It’s a familiar contact. A pack contact. Not _claiming_ , exactly, but there’s a significance to it.

“So… did you and Nanase-san...?” Ai starts, smirking shyly.

“No!” Rin says, too quickly. “He just… so I’m safe, you know?”

Ai nods, slyly, and ascends the ladder to his bed.

“You smell nice,” Ai comments before they go to sleep.

 

Four days later, after almost being _chased_ to his room by a bulky Alpha third year he barely even recognises. He bolts the door and curls up on his bed, panting, already hot from his heat but _sweating_ because of how hard he had to run. Teachers and more in-control Alphas made _attempts_ to step in, to protect the Omega, but ultimately Rin was just that. An _Omega_. And if an Alpha wants to claim him, it’s not his right to say “no”.

He quickly sends a text to Haru.

To: Haru, From: Rin  
**I need you to come over.**

But Haru _can’t_ come over. Not when he’s like this. There’s no _way_ he’ll be able to control himself.

And yet he sends the text anyway.

 

Haruka gets on the next train before he even has time to think. The Omega needs him. _His Omega needs him._ It’s only when he’s marching down Rin’s dormitory hallway that he realises just what he’s getting himself into. Rin doesn’t want this. There’s no _way_ Rin can want this. Something must have happened, someone must have said something or done something, and he just got _scared_ , that’s all. Haru can still smell his own scent halfway down the hall, Rin will be _fine_ with that still lingering but –

Then he smells Rin.

And now he can’t turn away, he’s not even in control of his feet that are _sprinting_ towards Rin’s door, and there’s not a single call from student or staff that he even notices, let alone responds to.

He needs Rin.

He bangs on the door impatiently, and has a passing thought that he hopes to _God_ Nitori has something better to do with his evening other than babysit Rin, because Haru’s going to seriously regret doing this with an audience whenever he can think straight again, and Rin will _definitely_ be upset about having a witness.

Nitori’s not here.

It’s just Rin, holding the door half open, with such a look of _fear_ in his face that it kicks Haru’s boner right in the nuts.

“What happened?” he breathes, collecting himself and pushing into the room, pushing right across the room to try and put some distance between him and that _smell_.

Rin stops in his tracks. Has Haru _really_ just cut himself off in the middle of coming to mate him to ask _that?!_ Oh well. Might as well pacify his question.

“Nothing, really… there was just this guy –”

“ _Who?!_ ” Haruka hisses the demand.

Rin starts to approach, cautiously and conscious that his _every_ movement is swaying his hips, jutting out his chest, all those little sexy things he can’t control, and Haruka has his eyes shut tight when Rin gets him backed into the wall.

“No one… I just needed you,” Rin purrs and puts his chin on Haru’s shoulder.

Well, Rin certainly needed another marking if _that_ was what he called Haru here for, but there was no way he could get his dick anywhere near that face without ramming it down his mouth. His hands shake, his whole _body_ shakes, and the only thing he has to hold onto is Rin. He grips the Omega’s waist and slides his own chin to Rin’s shoulder, breathing a little more freely, filling his senses with Rin’s delicious scent while he still has _some_ control.

“It’s okay, Haru,” Rin says.

Is it? Is it _really_ , Rin?

“I want to be in your pack,” he mumbles. “I want to be on your _team_.”

 

Haru turns his head into Rin’s neck, his nose _full_ of that delicious scent, but so close there’s something else. His _own_ scent is still here.

And really, they realise together as they look up, locking their eyes, Rin was Haru’s all along.

“You smell _amazing_ ,” Haru manages to mutter, more enunciation than Rin has ever heard roll out of his mouth.

“So I’ve been told,” Rin sniggers.

Still a cocky bastard even when Haru’s about to fuck him through the mattress. But that’s what he loves about his friend, _his Omega_.

Haru slowly pushes Rin back towards the bed. In a heartbeat, he’s got them both stripped, and can’t control the way his hand goes straight to the other teens ass, cupping and kneading the flesh until he slides a finger up his slick crack, revelling in just how _prepared_ he already is.

Rin shudders where he stands and finds himself clinging onto Haru to stay standing, and he sees Haru’s need to _protect_ flash across his eyes as he’s gently lowered onto the bed, on his back, with Haru leering over him, face going straight back into his neck and lapping at the swollen glands and it just feels _so good_ over his whole body that he grabs Haru by the waist and pulls him flush on top, the large cock of the Alpha brushing against his undersized Omega version, and it’s all becoming too much.

“ _Haru_ ,” he whines.

Demanding little Omega he’s got, hasn’t he? Haru grins, full, wide, toothy, down at his partner and brings their noses together, rubbing away in the animalistic kiss and then indulging his human needs to get his tongue into the other’s mouth.

And his cock into the other’s ass.

He pushes in mid-kiss, and as expected there’s a bit of a wince from Rin from the girth, but he’s so _ready_ and willing and needs it just as much as he does and slowly thrusts in while Rin settles. If you could call writing with the bliss of his orgasm _settling_ , that is, his untouched cock shuddering and shooting his small load between them.

He increases his pace, and Rin is already hard again. Haru wonders if he can even get soft at this point. He can already feel his knot starting to swell and pounds wildly while he still can. He thought it was supposed to last _longer_ than this. There’s no way his greedy Omega will be satisfied with just five minutes worth of a romp.

Suddenly, a look of fear and pain falls over Rin’s face, and Haru couldn’t continue thrusting even if he wanted to.

“I – I can’t – sorry…” he’s knotted to the point of no return now, and every pulse of the swelling shoots a wince of pain through Rin.

Haru licks his glands.

 

Rin’s never had this, this feeling of utter fulfilment. It hurts, but he’ll adjust, and his Alpha is doing a fine job of pain relief up here on his neck anyway. With trepidation, he begins small movements upwards with his hips, stimulating Haru’s knot to its full size. Haru lets him, maintaining the most impressive self-control he’s ever heard of for an Alpha, not even trying to fuck him.

But that’s just so Haru. The one everyone thought would present to be an Omega, instantly taken under Makoto’s loving care and protection, because he’s just so _placid_ and non-committal. But really, that’s just all a part of his incredible control. _Control_ , the true trait of an Alpha, despite the stereotypes of big builds and aggressive tendencies, and not even contemplating how Makoto acts, so _submissive_ under Haru’s ultimate will.

And now he’s his.


	2. Chapter 2

Nagisa and Rei have been acting _weird_ since the term restarted after summer. There’s no tournaments to compete for now, and the pool is hitting the point of being too cold to swim in, though Haru’s been to chancing his luck on the sunnier days, but even he’s having to accept that it’s just too cold now. They’re having to train in the gym and have cut down to just twice a week.

So in theory, he should be seeing Nagisa and Rei a little bit _less_ these days. Sure, they all still have lunch together, and he’s not as averse as he likes to pretend to having them over to his house occasionally… but… this has probably crossed a line.

“It’s a _double date, Senpai!_ ” Rei insists, his hand clasped awkwardly with Nagisa’s as they walk from the station to Samezuka Academy to collect Rin.

Haru didn’t really think it was even a ‘ _date_ ’ to begin with.

Rin is leaning on the left pillar of the entry arch when they arrive, earbuds in and a silly, baggy beanie slouching from his head. Haru waves his hand behind him as a gesture for Nagisa and Rei to hang back for a minute while he approaches Rin, walking into his open arms and rubbing the sides of their noses in greeting. He sets his hands on Rin’s hips and ducks in to sniff his glands.

“Are you alright?” he asks, and Rin just laughs at him.

“I’m _fine_ ,” but Rin likes Haru when he’s being protective. “Did you just Alpha at those two?”

“What? Oh… sorry… they decided to tag along?” Haru scuffs the ground. “Did you just say…?”

“Look. I should be being smothered in hugs right about now.”

“I just asked them to wait there,” Haru frowns.

Rin quickly kisses his cheek. “You asked _Nagisa_ to wait there and it _worked_.”

Well shit. It did, didn’t it?

“I didn’t _mean too_ ,” Haru looks back, slightly devastated, at their younger friends just _standing there_ waiting for them.

Rin laughs again. “You’re growing up. You have a pack.”

“I have _you_ ,” Haru hisses.

Rin puts his arm around his shoulders. “Well, maybe they want in, too?”

“Shut up,” Haru whines.

But the downward glance of Rin’s eyes means he’s done it again. He’s accidentally scolded Rin in his Alpha tone. Rin recovers quickly and kisses Haru’s nose, watching him carefully as Haru turns to look back at their friends.

“Why are you so scared?” Haru says nothing. “Come on.”

He coaxes Haru along and they join the others, and Nagisa’s _still_ not leapt on him like he usually does. Haru sighs.

“I didn’t mean to order you… relax,” he turns his head a little into Rin’s shoulder, embarrassed.

And yet, Nagisa still hangs back, the couple look nervous and excited, but Haru’s retreated in on himself.

“Did you miss me so much you had to come and crash our date?” Rin teases, and Nagisa finally latches on in a hug, eyeing Haru from the corner of his eye.

Well, there goes his argument that it wasn’t a date. Released from Nagisa, Rin hooks his arm back around Haru’s shoulders, and Haru’s arm instinctively circles around his waist. He knows they must _look_ like an average couple, but if he’s being honest, he’s not actually sure _what_ they are. Rin’s his Omega. He fucks him through his heats and does his damn best to keep him safe and happy, and for Rin’s part he’s just always _there_ , this little pillar of support.

They won’t be able to actually go and _register_ as a pack until Rin hits eighteen, but everyone knows, and though Haru’s only noticed a slight increase in respect in his school, he can tell Rin is a thousand times better off for it. Because of course, now he’s been claimed by one Alpha, he’s entirely able to refuse the demands of another. He’s _safe_. They could stay as just the two of them, if they wanted, just an Alpha and an Omega is all that’s legally required, and Haru thinks he might prefer that, but… Rin looks decidedly excited about the prospect of adding these two in as well.

“So where are you taking me? …us?” Rin asks, leaning most of his weight on Haru so he has no choice but to hold him tighter to keep them both up and balanced.

Haru snarls. “This was your idea.”

“But you’re in _chaaarge_ ,” he whines.

Haru sighs. “Then let’s go to the aquarium.”

“We went there _last_ weekend.”

“But I’m in charge,” Haru mocks, but Rin just bumps their noses together, playful and teasing. He’s so much like a puppy.

 

Rei leads Nagisa behind the other couple calmly, holding his hand soothingly. He’s just so _excited_ about spending the day with them, but it’s probably becoming pretty obvious to Haru and Rin just why the two Beta boys want to tag along.

More specifically, tag along _without Makoto_.

Because Makoto doesn’t have an Omega, and therefore he can’t have a pack. And while it’s not imperative to be recruited into a pack straight out of high school, it certainly has its benefits. Everything from scholarships to a government granted allowance can be attained with the right status and paper work, and the Nanase’s already hold quite the significant standing.

The Tachibana’s, however, do not… Makoto’s Beta parents aren’t part of a pack at all, which is fine, really, in the hustle and bustle of a crowded city, but it’s not at all suited to small town life. They’ll never be in any danger, and they’re obviously content with their close family life style – but it’s not what Rei wants.

And then there’s Makoto himself… he never expected to present as an Alpha, so he’s never been taught the basic qualities of being an Alpha. He doesn’t have a dominant bone in his body and still shrieks at the smallest spider. Haruka, on the other hand, carries an air of power even _without_ enforcing his status as an Alpha. Calm and collected and relatively rational unless there’s a pool involved, he commands obedience just with his stoic gaze. Even an unintended wave had both Rei and Nagisa glued to the spot.

Of course, they _love_ Makoto, but even as their team captain, he still looks to Haru for the final decision. As they hit the bustle of the centre, they catch up to Haru, and it’s so evident in just how people _part_ for this young Alpha, barely of age, and it’s obvious how much control he has.

And then Rei hears him sigh, apologetic for the people he’s accidentally influencing, and tightens his hold on Rin for comfort.

 

Haru wavers for just a moment before handing over more bills to cover Rei and Nagisa’s entrance fees, and exploits the use of his simple hand gesture to quickly calm the gushing ‘thank you’s. Rin noses his cheek affectionately, sort of annoyingly, but Haru just grunts and leads them straight to the tunnel, where he leaves Rin and the others to look around by himself, keeping watch on them all in his peripheral. But when Rei and Nagisa slowly meander to the opposite end, it’s only Rin he keeps in his eye-line.

The others aren’t his responsibility, and he’s not sure he wants it.

Rin sneaks up to him from behind, cutting short Haru’s second of panic when he just _can’t see him_ with a hug, nuzzling into the back of his neck.

“ _Don’t_ run off,” Haru scolds instantly, before he can hear Rin sigh, amused, into him.

“Don’t _worry_ so much. Have you smelled me lately? I stink. For all the pineapple you eat, I thought it might counteract some of the fish.”

“Well, I’m giving you a top up later. You’re staying over,” he grunts, turning to hug Rin tightly and rub their glands together, just adding a fresh layer of his scent. “Idiot.”

Rin just laughs. “Whatever you say.”

Nagisa and Rei approach a little slowly, obviously being repelled by the tension Haru can feel leaking from his aura, and he does his best to stand relaxed and open for them.

“There’s a dolphin show starting in ten!” Nagisa squeals, jogging over now and holding Haru’s arm.

He just nods and shrugs him off, fitting himself back with Rin and letting Nagisa run ahead excitedly, Rei just a short distance in front of them. It’s times like these he wishes he could be a Beta. Allowed to live more freely without having to accept demands like an Omega or give them out like an Alpha. He does _care_ about them, and hell, he loves Rin, and he’d do anything to protect them… but there’s a lot of ‘ _looking after’_ involved, and that’s never been his strong suit.

He needs lessons from Makoto or something, because that’s where he’d come into his own as an Alpha, and Haru’s seen him be protective when the need arises. He kisses Rin’s cheek when they sit down, and Rin just looks confused.

Yeah. Makoto would be better at the general affection thing too.

Haru’s a little bit inclined to walk the two Betas home when they’re coming up to their station, but resists. He’s never really paid enough attention to know if their interests in him… in his pack… are genuine or just instinctual because they’re so close, but he’s not about to push them, and it’s certainly not a decision they need to be making at sixteen and barely-seventeen.

 

“You aren’t fucking me?” Rin asks, confused and concerned as he comes into Haru’s room to find him under the covers, in pyjamas.

Haru just shakes his head, but Rin strips off anyway, snuggling in tight to Haru, nosing at his glands. They’re swollen with… probably the stress of his instincts flaring up around their friends today, and he licks him gently. He can’t sympathise – he just doesn’t have those feelings – but Haru curls into him, accepting all this gentle care like they’ve switched rolls. He looks _young_ and _insecure_ in the hazy moonlight, and Rin gets him settled on his chest, rubbing his back with soothing strokes.

“What’s wrong?” although he’s pretty sure he’s got it spot on anyway.

“Just thinking… overthinking…” Haru murmurs, nudging his way to Rin’s neck and breathing him in. “I still need to mark you again…”

Rin chuckles. “Not in bed. Maybe you can do it while you’re screwing me over the counter when I make you breakfast in the morning, hmm?”

“ _Greedy_.”

“Hey, it’s like the one thing I expect of you and now you’re holding out,” Rin kisses the top of his head to show he isn’t serious, but still feels Haru shudder, and then sigh.

“Roll over, then. I’ll rub your ass or something?” he really doesn’t sound into it, but Rin just laughs more.

“It’s alright,” he promises. “I want you to enjoy it too… and I like just holding you.”

“Hn,” Haru hums idly, tracing his fingers over Rin’s chest and arm.

It tickles a little, but it’s mostly just soothing. “Don’t worry so much, alright? _I’m_ fine and _they’re_ fine, and you’re better at this than you think, alright? Makoto has his birthday soon… and I know just hitting the date doesn’t really make a difference, but he might come into it more in a couple months, yeah?”

 

Haru takes his time to lick Rin ready in the morning, lubing him up with his tongue spreading his natural slick with Rin sat straddling his face until he’s nothing more than a collapsed, whimpering mess draped over him. He marks him before he fucks him, and Rin cheekily licks and kisses at his cock while it’s touching at his neck. They fuck gently, with Rin on his back, bumping noses and kissing constantly. Haru’s careful not to knot – not while Rin isn’t all thickened out and protected in heat – but staying so aware makes it easier for him to make sure Rin’s enjoying it to the fullest.

“Good boy,” he soothes, rubbing tissue after tissue over Rin’s _very_ messy stomach from where they’ve both lost it.

Rin is pining for more, but Rin _always_ pines for more, and a long soak after the mark’s soaked in chills him out again.

“You were supposed to make me breakfast?” Haru squeezes around Rin in the tub.

“Yeah, alright. But I’m doing pancakes, alright?”

Haru pouts, and knows he _could_ put a little more effort into that pout and Rin will make him mackerel anyway, but he doesn’t want to exploit his Alpha influence on something as petty as breakfast. He doesn’t want to exploit it at _all_.

“And _maybe_ I’ll make you mackerel,” Rin adds anyway. “Just because.”

Haru washes yesterday’s dinner dishes as Rin cooks, humming away to himself until Haru steps up behind him, rubbing his hands over his ribs.

“Be good, or I’ll burn it,” Rin warns.

Haru kisses the back of his neck, adding just a scrape of his teeth. “Look at you, getting bossy. A little Alpha shining through after all?”

Haru leaves him alone, going to sit at the table and work on some school stuff while he waits for Rin.

“I might ask Makoto up later,” Haru grumbles, wrapping a fillet of fish inside a pancake, and Rin chews in concern for his tastes. “He’s better at this than me.”

Rin leans over to take a look, but it’s a different syllabus and something he hasn’t covered, so he can only shrug. “I’ll text him for you,” he offers, and Haru easily agrees.

 

Makoto can smell their morning sex as soon as he lets himself in through the back door and sighs, ambling his way to the lounge where he finds Haru and Rin engaged in a playful wrestle for the TV controller. Haru sits up to greet him, letting Rin win the tussle and just settle his head into Haru’s lap to get comfortable, the rest of his body sprawled out across the floor. Haru shakes his head and sighs fondly, stroking his hand into Rin’s hair a few times before he settles to just pet him.

“Hey,” Makoto smiles, sitting opposite, trying to make it a respectful distance away from the Omega, but neither of them seem to notice.

“Hey… I’d make you tea, but…” Haru looks down, a little smile playing at his lips. “Someone’s in the way.”

“Someone’s comfy, actually,” Rin quips, but rolls a little to smile at Makoto. “You can’t watch TV anyway. You have homework.”

“Scoot forward, then, so I can reach the table,” Haru grunts, and Makoto doesn’t catch even the slightest waver in his tone that indicates a demand. He’s just treating him as he always has.

And just look how happy they are for it.

“I’ll make something for all of us?” Makoto offers, confident he’s still close enough to Haru that he won’t be invading his territory by helping himself to the kitchen, and Haru mouths a ‘thanks’ while he spreads his homework out. “And let me guess, the History?”

“Urgh…” is Haru’s noise of agreement.

Makoto laughs. It feels like they’re just young teens again, with no bother for the strict hierarchy, and even with Haru and Rin being mated and starting their own pack, Makoto doesn’t feel outcast or uncomfortable. It’s a sign of just how _good_ a match they are. Haru’s so secure in Rin’s faithfulness, and Rin’s equally secure in his trust for Haru to do his best to protect and take care of him.

But maybe it’s also a sign of his own weakness as an Alpha.

“You two look so happy together,” he comments wistfully as he brings in the tray of tea. “I sometimes feel like I’m _never_ going to find that…”

Rin laughs, cheery as always. “Have you even _looked_ for a mate though, Mako?”

Haru continues to pet him, looking equally as curious, but also _concerned,_ and Makoto wishes he’d never said anything.

“Ah… no… I don’t even know another Omega…”

“They don’t come to our school in heat,” Haru explains to Rin. “It’s too open to outsiders, and getting there and back… not worth the risk.”

Rin nods, looking sympathetic for all his comrades. He’s so much more comfortable with his Omega status after just a few months of being with Haru that he should be the poster boy for all male Omegas. “I bet Makoto would want a really cute little pack… kids all over the place… couple of Betas on hand for babysitting…”

“Yeah, eventually. That sound pretty ideal,” Makoto agrees with a light chuckle. “What about you two? Will you have kids?”

Rin looks right to Haru for the answer, well aware it’s not really his place to say, but Haru is looking down at him in thought, and puts his pen down to move his hand to touch Rin’s stomach.

“I might like… one?” he asks Rin, nervous and unsure and so subtly _fighting_ the boom of his Alpha voice from breaking out.

“A little boy?” Rin looks more _excited_ about the idea than anything, and Haru nods as if they can control it. “The drugs are expensive though,” Rin frowns, because though male Omega’s _can_ conceive, they need hormonal medication to release eggs.

Haru hugs himself so willingly around Rin for the rest of the day, and never usually the one to be so _cuddly_ , Rin seems more than content to nuzzle in and make the most of it. And somehow, with just how easy and natural they are together, Makoto still doesn’t feel jealous or left out. They even invite him to accompany Rin back to school, though he chooses to hang back while they kiss at the gate.

 

Haru watches until Rin is out of the courtyard and into the building, and then turns to meet Makoto.

“Do you ever let him go anywhere alone, now?” Makoto asks, nudging Haru’s shoulder, joking and playful.

“If he _wants_ to, but…”

“You’d rather he didn’t?”

“I’d rather know he’s safe,” Haru says, very sure of his answer. “He’s been out with Yamazaki, Nitori and Mikoshiba a few times though,” he shrugs.

Makoto’s a bit confused. “You’re ok with that? With Sousuke?”

“I trust Rin.”

And it’s as simple as that. There’s no exact reason _why_ he trusts him so much, especially being best friends with a stronger, bigger, fiercer Alpha. But he does. Completely.

“Do you love him?”

“Yeah?” Haru says easily. He _thinks_ he does, but he doesn’t really have anything to compare it to… and they’ve never said it to each other. He thinks Rin loves him, too but…

It might be nice to be told.

“What about you?” Haru changes the subject. “Are you going to try starting a pack right after school, or wait?”

Makoto hums, being careful with his answer. It’s tetchy business, pack politics. “I’ve been thinking about those college Alpha groups. The Brotherships? Where you –”

“Learn from other Alpha’s to try and get it all right… yeah. I considered it before Rin.”

“You’re better at this than you think, Haru-chan. You’re doing so _well_ together.”

Haru can only smile in agreement. He _knows_ , and he’s so proud.

“Some of the Brotherships are forming packs after college… equal status… some even have Omega’s and Beta’s… just working together. I like the sound of that…” Makoto muses.

Haru likes the sound of that too.

“Hey…” he starts, proposition dancing on his tongue, but when Makoto cocks his head in question, Haru just looks away. He needs to speak to Rin about it first, and then there’s… “Rei and Nagisa have been acting… weird. Clingy. Like they might want to –”

“Join your pack?” always with finishing each other’s sentences, it’s like nothing’s changed since they were kids. “I’m not surprised. You should go for it. It’ll be good for all of you.”

Haru nods idly, and they walk in silence to where their paths split at the steps to Haru’s house.

“See you at school tomorrow, Haru-chan,” Makoto sing-songs, like they still _are_ kids, and brushes Haru’s arm with his warm hand, and then grasps it to tug him a little closer.

It’s a loose hug with Haru tentatively slipping one arm around his back. They haven’t had such a deep, emotional chat in a while, and they’re both benefitting from the contact.

“Goodnight, Makoto,” Haru says softly.

As they part, he brushes the tips of their noses. It could be accidental. But it’s not.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this fic started as a oneshot, but I want to flesh out and build this world more, as it's the closet thing to fantasy I've ever come, so we're gonna get some actual plot and stuff! I even know where it's going!


	3. Chapter 3

Haru hates joint practices. They’re weekly now, for the Iwatobi boys to get some time in the pool, but half the key players on the Samezuka team are big, brutish Alphas. And his Rin is just one of a handful of Omegas. Haru doesn’t particularly _like_ the guy, but their captain – and Rin’s best friend to boot – doesn’t do too bad a job at keeping the weaker boys safe. They’re given their own lane to train in, and a mated Alpha life-guard watches them specifically. He knows Rin’s safe. He was even confident Rin was pretty well looked after even before they were a pack, but it still sets him on edge.

The others can feel it too as they head over on the train. He wants his best friend to tell him everything will be alright, and it cuts him even more when Makoto tactfully moves to the other side of the carriage, _away from him_ , as the most obvious target if Haru completely loses his cool. Gou stays by his side, and she smells a little like Rin, and it comforts him. Even Nagisa is quiet, but not nervous, with Rei squeezing at his hand.

 

Rin, on the other hand, _loves_ joint practices! Because he gets to see Haru. He gets to smell Haru and touch Haru and be touched and kissed in return. It washes over the greatest sense of relief and fulfilment when Haru’s around, when he’s just within earshot or his delicious scent just tickling at his nose.

Or at least, Rin _usually_ loves joint practices. By this point he’s usually out by the gate with Sousuke, bouncing with anticipation of the Iwatobi team’s arrival… but today he’s hauled up in an argument.

“He’s not your _real_ boyfriend though, is he?” a large, spotty Beta from his chemistry class asks him.

Rin had just been trying to pick up a text book before practice when he’d overheard the group down-talking mated pairs… being mocking and cruel, and maybe it was that little Alpha kick Haru always teases him about poking through again, but Rin barged in on the defence.

But now he doesn’t really have an answer. “He’s my _mate_ … we’re not just shacking up for movies and sex on the weekends…” he grumbles, feeling flushed and nervous as the group laugh at him, even though that _is_ what usually ends up happening…

There are three Beta boys and two Alphas chortling away, but the Omega accompanying them looks at Rin, worried, and is the next to pipe up, apparently taking Rin’s side. “But… he looks after you, right?”

Rin nods quickly.

“Oh _please_ ,” it’s an Alpha. “Isn’t your Alpha Nanase? He’s smaller than _you_ ,” he laughs.

“It’s true, though,” the other Alpha, more intelligent and all together more threatening, “Alphas don’t give a _damn_ about their Omegas. He has to care for you because you have to have his pups… but _you_ , you’re just _property_.”

Rin and the other Omega can feel the weight of his tone, and Rin grabs his companion’s arm to keep him from falling to his knees under the pressure.

“You can’t touch me,” he hisses, finally confident, because his Alpha infliction is doing _nothing_.

“Oh, I _could_ ,” and his giant hand is reaching out for Rin’s face, cupping his cheek surprisingly gently. “You’re not a bad catch… a bit _stubborn_ , maybe, but we could beat that out of you. Does Nanase not punish you properly?”

“He doesn’t punish me at _all_ ,” Rin growls.

“Shame. He should. Or you’ll be worthless to anyone else when he finds a better replacement.”

He leans into Rin, but Rin’s holding his ground firm. He’s strong, and though he couldn’t overpower an Alpha completely, he can probably get a good enough hit in to get away and find Sousuke. But the Omega beside him has gone from joining in with the torment to just _trembling_ with fear, and Rin can’t leave him.

They hear footsteps outside the chemistry room and the group back away, deciding not to risk being seen ready to dominate someone already taken, and wilfully resisting, because there are actual _laws_ against that one… although primarily for the original Alpha’s sake, and not the Omega’s.

“Let me walk you to your room,” he says quickly to the other boy, who just nods, and Rin knows the feeling. He’s feeling weakened and scared, and probably regretful.

“Is it really all… rape and force and –”

Rin cuts him off. “Not if they’re decent… my Haru is decent,” but he knows he doesn’t sound as sure as he did earlier, and now he’s late for meeting Haru too.

He gets his new friend, Tom, safely to the room he shares with an unpresented first year, and then has to sprint back to the other side of campus to the swimmer’s dorm to grab his bag and gets down to the locker room with just minutes to spare.

And Haru is _on him_.

Rin stays still while Haru pins his shoulders back against a locker and dives his nose into his neck, sniffing, and sniffs up to his cheek where the other Alpha had held him. He licks him, once, and with a stern look goes about carefully inspecting the rest of Rin’s body, and it’s convenient that he already has to get changed, because Haru is being _very_ thorough.

 

“What _happened?!_ ” Haru demands, finally pulling away and jamming a hand into Rin’s bag to pass him his legskin.

Rin takes a breath, and Haru hears him struggle to get his words out. “Just had a run in…” he mumbles, and Haru snarls at how he’s downplaying it.

“ _Who?!_ ”

“It doesn’t matter,” it does. Haru can tell he’s shaken. “I was helping out another Omega.”

He’s not _lying_ , Haru can tell, but there’s something else there… something he’s hiding. Rin’s head is tilted down in submission, and his knees are shaking, and Haru has to collect himself before he puts any more pressure on him.

He leans in to kiss his glands, making Rin whimper as he drops his head completely onto Haru’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” Haru whispers, and lets Rin snuggle, hugging him tight, until he feels him calm down… there’s still that little hit of something _missing_ … something that feels like fear, but Rin kisses him happily enough.

They’re late, anyway, but Sousuke and Makoto have had the decency to leave them alone to do their thing. Rin’s the only mated Omega on the team, and Haru knows what message they send to the others, especially the younger students. Haru knows he’s being used as an example on how to treat a mate, but whether it’s a good or a bad example really depends on the person. Haru thinks he’s doing alright. His Rin is happy, which is his main priority, but he knows not everyone shares the same views as he does on the worth of an Omega. He knows his methods are unconventional, in that he tries to never force Rin into anything, and hasn’t really asked Rin if _he_ prefers it this way, but he thinks it works. Rin trusts him, and that’s all he needs.

It’s harder than usual to leave Rin at his lane when they finally make it to the pool. He stands uncomfortably, able to smell Rin’s upset even with all the chlorine and other bodily scents. It gives him a headache. Rin is shutting down too. He’s slow and unfocused, staring mindlessly into space, obviously dwelling hard on something. Haru’s slow too, and even the water doesn’t have any answers for him on what could be upsetting Rin. It’s more than him just being shaken from whatever confrontation he’s had.

And then Haru gives up when he sees Rin almost collide with the wall he’s so distracted, and marches his way through to his lane. The life-guard flares his nostrils, and Haru has to remember how to speak rather than just growling at him.

“I need Rin. I need to take Rin home,” he garbles.

Everyone’s watching, frozen in silence as Haru feels his own authority wrack the room. Rin hauls himself out and walks over, head down, and doesn’t dare reach to hold him. As Rin’s Alpha, Haru holds more standing than any teacher, or even Rin’s mother, and it’s _his_ say that is final on whether Rin gets to leave the school grounds. Permission slips go through _him_ now, and no one’s going to argue when he wants to take Rin home.

They dry and dress silently, not bothering with showers, but Rin tugs back on Haru’s hand when he tries to lead them towards the exit.

“I need to get some books…” Rin is rightly assuming Haru’s taking him for the weekend, but looks so nervous about asking.

“Yeah, sure,” Haru nods, and lets Rin lead the way to his dorm, hands loosely linked together. Rin’s hand is too hot. “Are you going into heat?”

Rin just shrugs, dismissive, and Haru laces their fingers instead. He shoulders Rin’s bag of clothes with his swim stuff while Rin takes his work, but then he’s being led in a different direction again.

“Rin?” Haru doesn’t want to, but he has to add just a little inflection of force there, just enough to make Rin stop and explain, but he can see it cut across his face, and it looks like fear.

“My new friend… the Omega I had to help… I need to give him my number or something.”

“Alright. And then we go home, yeah?”

Rin nods wordlessly, face totally blank, so oddly like Haru he’s retreated so much into himself. Haru follows him through the corridors until they hit his friend’s dorm, and Rin knocks.

“Hey,” the blonde boy greets Rin happily, but Haru’s scent must hit him a second later and he takes a step back into his room.

“Uh, hey,” Rin shoots Haru a little glare, as if it’s _his_ fault, and Haru _tries_ to be as non-threatening as possible. “I’m gonna be out for the weekend –” and if Haru’s right about this heat, probably next week as well – “so I just wanted you to have my number, in case of… earlier.”

 

Haru’s leaning in, curious and concerned, and Rin loops his arm around his waist like he’s the one who needs comforting, and rubs his side just slightly. They exchange phones to tap in numbers, but then Haru is reaching for Tom’s phone too. Rin holds it fast.

“Just in case,” is all Haru says, and neither Omega can object.

Haru’s been better with his phone since he claimed Rin, which Rin appreciates almost as much as the sex, but he’s still a little surprised he knows his own number from memory.

“This is Haru, my Alpha,” Rin feels the need to introduce him, even though it’s obvious. “He’s taking me home…”

“Oh. Are you...?” in heat? In trouble? Rin’s not sure what Tom’s trying to hint, but he looks worried.

“Are you alright?” Haru asks, taking a step closer.

Tom steps back, nodding frantically, but Haru ignores him and sniffs the air. And then he sighs, pulling his arms out of his jacket and yanking his yellow team tee over his head. He zips his tracksuit back over his bare chest, and hands over the shirt.

“Sleep in it. Give it back to Rin whenever. Just in case anyone comes knocking.”

Tom nods, holding it at arm’s length as if it’s toxic, and studies Rin more than Haru.

Phones are handed back and they shuffle awkwardly out of the room. Rin is confused. He’s glad and relieved, but now there’s even more of this bad feeling setting into his gut, and he can’t decide between snuggling into Haru to make it go away, or letting his hand go to see if it helps to distance himself from the source.

They’re so quiet on the train, but that’s not uncommon, and Rin isn’t sure why he suddenly feels so uncomfortable with their natural silence.

“Order pizza for about 8:30ish?” Haru says, squeezing Rin’s hand before letting go and taking Rin’s bag, and then he vanishes to his room to dump Rin’s things before Rin can even nod his obedience.

But it wasn’t a command. There was no infliction, and now he flinches at his assumption. Ordering the pizza only takes a second, and Haru hasn’t returned. He knows he’s welcome to go upstairs and find him, but instead just flops to the floor in the lounge.

He can’t shake it. It’s like doubt and jealousy and just his obvious _weakness_ and _worthlessness_ all rolling into one lump of depression he’s struggling to swallow, and he chokes on an angry sob.

And then Haru is on him _again_ , but this time burrowing right into Rin’s neck and coaxing Rin into his, straddling over his lap with his knees and curling them together as close as possible.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Rin. I _need_ to know what’s wrong.”

Haru doesn’t even try to hold back his demand, and Rin shudders in his arms as he has to gasp for breath between his sobs to speak.

“They just said… that you don’t care…”

“Who said I don’t care about what, Rin?” Haru’s speaking to him slowly, wiping at his tears.

“Another Alpha… said Alphas don’t… I’m just your property.”

Haru sits back, and Rin feels his chin being lifted up to look at him, and he looks more hurt than he’s ever seen him.

“Is that what you really think, Rin? Do you really think I don’t love you?”

Rin freezes. Haru’s staring at him so intensely, eyes just wetting at the edges. His voice is just a whisper, so weak, like they’re twelve again, and Haru was always the most placid out of all of them – at least on the surface – and secretly sensitive. He’s still Haru. He’s still his best friend, despite their status, despite they’re a pack, they’ve always cared for each other. How had he even considered that presenting as an Alpha would change Haru like that?

“I love you,” Haru repeats, like he’s begging for any reaction from Rin.

Rin swallows, bringing his hands to Haru’s face to wipe away the little pools in his eyes. “I love you too.”

 

They cuddle quietly after eating. Haru just needs to feel him and relearn every little bit of skin he can get his nose into. Rin is spiking a fever and has become a little lethargic, but neither of them are sure if it’s just stress or the beginnings of heat. Until Haru takes his pants off to get into bed.

“Urgh,” Haru grunts as his heavy balls drop down with the lack of support from his shorts. “You _are_ going into heat.”

They’re so in-sync, Haru’s body responds at the very first inklings of a change in Rin’s. He flops down, only comfortable on his side, and waits impatiently for Rin so can hold him.

“Well don’t sound so disappointed,” Rin scoffs, sliding in to face Haru.

“You’re gonna be sore tomorrow,” Haru traces his hand down Rin’s back, rubbing at his ass cheeks when he reaches them.

Rin just nods, but then slides his dick between Haru’s legs, rubbing at his swollen balls with it, and starts to hump against him.

“ _Feisty_ ,” Haru scolds, but lets him finish. Haru’s alright with missing out tonight, more interested in pampering and apologising to Rin. “I’m sorry I was so forceful earlier. I don’t want to be like that.”

“No,” Rin shakes his head into Haru’s chest, and Haru ducks down to start licking at his neck. “I know sometimes you can’t help it. You were really nice to Tom earlier… are you thinking about…?”

“No way,” Haru nips at Rin’s ear. He’s still struggling with the idea of getting Rei and Nagisa in with them, and then there was that talk with Makoto he needs to bring up again. “I’ll just keep you, for that.”

“What would you call this? Us?” Rin asks, sleepy and letting his mind wander, and Haru strokes his hair as the both nestle down.

“I don’t really know. Mates?”

“Boyfriends?”

“You’re cute,” he kisses him.

 _Boyfriends, huh?_ It sounds so normal, like they’re just an average Beta couple. But then Rin wakes up sweating and moaning as his ass thickens out, and Haru tries his best to make him comfortable with breakfast and kisses, but he has to get to class. He brings Rin his text books to study while he’s here, and it’s sort of sad to see him not argue at all about missing out on school-time, but then, an Omega only needs to pass. Rin won’t be going on to college or getting onto the career ladder, however much Haru would support him through it.

It’s just not allowed. Heats are too inconvenient and most packs _need_ their Omegas to nurse children and keep-house, even males like Rin. Haru’s still not sure what he’s doing for college, but as long as he can take his Rin, he’ll ease in with just about anything that lets him keep swimming.

Rin’s heat hits two days later on Sunday while Haru is washing up from lunch, and he smells it immediately, before Rin can even cry out for him. Haru’s so ready for this. He’s held off sex all weekend for fear of knotting him and hurting him, but now he can get down with it without any worry, and Rin is just _begging_ for it.

He’s sprawled out, naked and writhing on the bed, ass leaking hot, wet fluid as he lubes himself up. Haru strips in a second and climbs on top of him, kissing his greedy mouth and getting positioned at his pulsing hole. He’s knotting almost instantly from all the anticipation, desperate for all that weight in his sack to be pushed into Rin. They can have more fulfilling sex later when they’re not both so in need of orgasm and relief.

Haru’s load pumps into Rin every few minutes, each pulse of his knot rubbing on Rin’s prostate, and he’s cumming dry by the fourth one. At this rate, he’ll be passed out with exhaustion by the time it’s over. It takes more than an hour until Haru’s empty, but they don’t move yet. Haru’s cock still plugs Rin up while they kiss and cuddle and calm down – because it’s messy, but Rin’s gotten good at making it to the bathroom, getting straight into the shower while Haru changes the sheets before joining him.

 

They snack in bed instead of having dinner, curled up naked together, but Rin is getting to the point of itching for another round.

And then they get a call.

Haru looks about ready to crush Rin’s phone in his hands when it starts singing from the bedside table. Rin sees Sousuke’s name flash across the screen and tentatively holds his hand out for it, before Haru can either throw it or yell at his friend.

“My roommate just presented,” Sousuke’s panting, like he’s been running. “First year. Omega. Half the staff are out. What do I _do?!_ ”


	4. Chapter 4

Haru’s stare shifts from one of anger to one of concern, and he ducks in to reach the receiver.

“Where is he?”

They hear Sousuke startle a little, though why he hasn’t expected Haru to be in on the phone call is anyone’s guess.

“I left him in our room.”

“And where are you?” Rin sounds concerned.

“Looking for Ai,” Sousuke’s still a little breathless, but sounds more confused than anything at this point, probably feeling better with someone to talk to.

“Where _are_ you?” Rin says again, more forceful, and Haru smirks at his bossy little Omega. Rin rides on it for a minute, rolling over and pinning Haru under him, just lazily hoisting himself up on one elbow and otherwise ignoring him, and Haru can only rub his hands up and down Rin’s back in appreciation.

There’s a pause, and a huff. “Some hallway?”

Rin barks a laugh, collapsing in giggles onto Haru, who prises the phone from his hand and takes over.

“Rin’s in heat,” he explains, with Rin still chuckling into his neck. Haru strokes his hair, adjusting his weight with the lift of his shoulder, and frowns in a little side glance towards him. “And he’s probably had too much coffee.”

“Ah… Nanase…” Sousuke’s obviously so unsure of what to say, and they both fall silent.

Rin reaches out for the phone, but Haru clamps his arm around his shoulders, pushing him back down, and kisses his forehead with a forceful “ _Nope_.”

Sousuke sighs on the other end. “I don’t know what to do,” he finally says, sullen and quiet and somewhere between upset and angry.

“We’ll get a taxi. There in twenty,” Haru grunts, hanging up before Rin can even look up with his little pout. “He’s your friend too, right?”

Rin opens his mouth to whine, closes it, and nods. Haru sits them up, stretching out and rubbing Rin’s arms. He’s needy and horny and though he’s been perfectly able to just power through and deal with his heats before, he’s grown accustomed to having Haru to relieve him pretty much on demand, and he was getting so geared up for round two…

“I’m gonna shower,” Haru kisses his head again. “You… shouldn’t. Just use a load of spray or something,” because it’s not going to wash off the smell of his heat, but _will_ lessen the smell of Haru all over him.

Rin is pouting when Haru comes back into the room to get dressed, but he’s at least fully clothed and sitting up on the edge of the bed, watching him. Haru comes over, just giving him a little minute of attention with thumbing his bottom lip.

“Gimme a kiss,” Rin grunts, looking away.

“ _Spoiled_.”

“You love me,” the lip comes out further, and Haru just rolls his eyes. He almost manages to turn away and dry off quietly, but Rin’s grabbed him around the waist and is _taking_ that kiss if Haru won’t give it.

Haru smiles against his mouth. “I do.”

 

Sousuke’s thankfully made it to Rin and Ai’s dorm room by the time they arrive, and he spins idly on the desk chair with Ai sat up on his bunk. They both look around, and Rin frowns.

“Where’s Momo?”

“Ah… he’s still in our room. Ai offered to keep him company but he kicked him out,” Sousuke shrugs. “He’s all… _hormonal_ ,” and he shudders.

Haru snorts; Rin looks like he wants to slap them both. He pushes Haru onto his bottom bunk with a rough hand, and Haru just lets him, getting comfortable despite the heavy handling. He can see Sousuke observing them from across the room and does his best to keep his face neutral when Rin is no longer in between them, now rummaging around in his bottom drawer for pads, pain killers, ointment and a neutralising spray.

“Behave,” he warns the two Alphas.

Sousuke meets the demand with a scowl, but it softens as he sees Haru just smirk and exchange kisses on the cheek with Rin. Haru settles back on the bed, staring up at the slats above that hold Ai’s mattress, and Sousuke is nothing short of confused. He clears his throat.

“My parents are an Alpha/Omega couple,” he starts, making sure Haru’s at least rolled his eyes over to him. He’s feeling strangely intimidated, and can’t tell if it’s just Haru’s natural Alpha aura or if he’s put out by how relaxed Haru seems to be. “They’re not… _like_ you two.”

And Haru just shrugs, looking Sousuke over, who refuses to flinch under his gaze. “I can imagine,” he sighs, like it’s a disappointment.

“You let him treat you like –”

“Like I did when none of this even mattered? Why shouldn’t I?”

“He’s not submissive,” Sousuke frowns.

“He has his own mind. I don’t need to tell him what to do,” Haru doesn’t let the powerful infliction drop from his voice. He can’t dominate Sousuke, but he _can_ make him back off. But then he lightens up just a smidgen. “Unless he’s doing something stupid and he needs me,” he decides.

Ai, above them, laughs. “Well it _is_ Rin…”

“They won’t be long,” Haru muses calmly. “I don’t think Rin really wants to drag this out.”

 

“Is it supposed to _bleed_ like this?!” Momo squawks, and even Rin winces a little at the bloodstains smeared on the back of his grey sweats.

Rin just nods, because Momo’s known this since he was about eleven, because it’s all taught in their pre-pubescent sex-ed lessons, but it always comes as a bit of a shock. “It’ll be better next time,” he promises. “First is the worst. Have a shower and put one of these in your underwear,” he holds out the half-used pack of pads. “And… uh… rub some of this on the _area_ ,” and he hands over the medicated ointment too.

Momo just looks utterly humiliated, but quietly slips off to the en-suite in the dorm room, and returns quickly in just a pair of bulked up briefs.

“This feels stupid,” he whines.

“Keeps the smell _and_ the staining at bay,” Rin shrugs. “You’ll need them for when you get wet too. It might not happen when you’re bleeding but… most heats. _I’m_ wearing one too.”

“Right now?” Momo sits next to him, already sweating again, which leads Rin onto the next item he’s brought along.

“Yep. I’m gonna be home with Haru all week. Here. Spray. Keeps you cool and helps with the smell, but you still need your regular deodorant and stuff.”

“You’ve brought painkillers too,” Momo notes, looking hopeful, but obediently uses the spray and his roll-on, and goes to find more clothes now that he’s not going to just melt on the spot.

“Yeah. Stronger than the usual stuff, so you’ll have to get them from the nurse in future, but you can have these. I have Haru. Speaking of which…”

He needs him again. It’s an odd feeling in his head and his chest and even his eyes. Just this longing, this borderline-anxiety, and he feels like he might cry.

 

The room falls silent when Rin pushes the door open, the three faces turning to look at them. Rin would blush, if he wasn’t already so hot and tired from his heat, and can only nod and slink over to sit on the side of the bed with Haru. He wants to curl up with him, but his ass hurts and he’s on edge, feeling the pressure of having _two_ Alphas in such a small space, and he’s suddenly feeling unusually self-conscious of how clingy he is in front of his friends.

But he doesn’t have time to dwell on his own discomfort, as Momo suddenly bursts into tears.

Both Haru and Sousuke startle, driven to protect and comfort the crying Omega, and it shows on their faces just how much _pain_ it causes them both to try and hold off.

“Momo-kun,” Ai slips himself down the ladder of his bunk. “Please don’t cry, Momo-kun!”

“No,” Rin shakes his head, “let him. You can hug him, Sousuke.”

Sousuke nods, but neither he nor Momo move an inch, so Ai ends up gently pushing their weepy friend onto the bed next to Rin, but even he’s biting his lip out of nerves.

“Sorry,” Momo sniffles. “This is _stupid_.”

“Yep,” Haru agrees with a sigh. He reaches out to stroke Rin’s hair. “Self-lubricating assholes – _such_ an inconvenience.”

Rin snorts a little laugh despite himself and finally comes to settle his head on Haru’s shoulder, and they both tactfully ignore the single tear that runs down his cheek. 

The room goes oddly quiet. Ai moves to stand between Sousuke and Momo (be it on purpose or otherwise) and discuss the swim team with him, Momo just sits quiet and contemplative. Haru coaxes Rin to lean back against the wall with him, legs stretched out and tangled in front.

Throwing his arm over Haru’s waist and nuzzling further into his chest, Rin lets out a long-suffering sigh.

“You alright?” Haru whispers into the top of his head.

“Horny,” Rin grunts, and everyone laughs. “It’s not _funny_ ,” he whines.

“It’s a little bit funny,” Ai muses. “What happened to _just dealing with it?_ ”

Momo looks over at them, and Rin swallows the remainder of his pride. “It’s different when you have someone to deal with it for you.”

“You mean you’re spoiled,” Sousuke interjects.

Rin tenses, expecting an outburst from Haru, but Haru just kisses his head. “It’s my job to spoil him,” he looks up to Momo. “I have to provide him with everything he needs and take care of everything he wants.”

“You make it sound like… not-a-chore?”

“He’s mine. Of course it’s not.”

“Alright, _sap_ ,” Rin huffs, blushing. “Shut up and lick my neck. My ass hurts.” Momo and Sousuke continue to watch as Rin brings his full weight into Haru’s lap, effectively blocking him out of the conversation – though his mouth has gone straight to work at Rin’s glands. “Pain relief,” he explains to them.

“I want an Alpha,” Momo is pouting now.

Sousuke makes a second of eye contact with Haru before he speaks. “You’re too young yet. _Big_ commitment.”

“You two are holding up well,” Ai comments, looking mostly at Sousuke. Haru’s got enough of a distraction with Rin sprawling out over him.

“Literally _all_ I can smell is those two,” Sousuke grunts, shooting the couple a glare. “And he _is_ too young. However strong these Alpha instincts are meant to be, I think my morals have taken priority,” and then he frowns, and looks questioningly at Haru. “Unless I’m just…?” _Not Alpha enough?_

Haru breaks off from his pampering of Rin, replacing his licks and kisses with tickles of his fingers on his neck instead, slowly getting him laid out and comfortable on top of him, face hidden in his collar, “No, you’re right. It’ll be his third for fourth heat before he starts smelling good… and guys are so irregular with it. It’ll probably be next year. You should be telling him this, Rin.”

Rin whimpers.

Sousuke frowns. “I feel like you’re being overdramatic, Rin.”

“He is,” Haru shrugs. “Sit up. I’ll take you home soon.”

There’s just enough infliction to make Rin move immediately, but he’s hurt and sore and moody. Every minute is just making him more and more desperate for _anything_ to be up his ass to ease this painful emptiness.

“If you can’t get sex once you’ve had it, it fucking _sucks_ ,” he whines, loudly, and pulls away from Haru to lean by his side instead.

“ _Rin_ ,” Haru’s sharp with his warning.

Rin sits up to get further away, but this exposes his back for Haru to rub instead, working his way back to his neck and glands with his fingers to just stroke him there again. Rin can’t argue that it doesn’t help, he just wishes it didn’t make him dissolve into a puddle of pleasure when he’s trying to make Haru feel guilty.

Haru knows he’s won when Rin’s back relaxes and trembles like a cat purring, and he manages to collect himself a little bit.

“We’ll have to switch rooms?” he looks to Sousuke, as the Captain of the swim team, he’s the main decision maker.

“It’s harder so close to the end of term,” he grunts. “And I don’t want you two alone together…”

“I’ll room with you, then? Haru?”

“Hn,” Haru dismisses the question. He doesn’t want to deal with that yet.

“Stay in here with Ai for now anyway… it smells so much like Haru your heat’ll be over by the time anyone even realises.

“I’m staying too,” Sousuke says, and it’s the first real Alpha command any of them have ever heard away from the pool. He’s more of a gentle soul that Haru, and not so prone to accidentally letting it reign free. “You _know_ what some of these guys can be like. I don’t think anyone would _hurt_ him, but scare him into being marked or anything like that? I’m not having that.”

There’s a few minutes of silence, mostly with Rin frowning, feeling worried and protective over their youngest friend. Haru kisses his cheek.

“Rin has an Alpha complex and I think he’s having big brotherly issues with this arrangement,” he explains.”

“As long as no one fucks in my bed, then I don’t care,” Rin growls, and Haru’s eyebrow raising up is enough of a warning for him to rein in the sass.

At least until they get home, where he can put that tongue to much better use winning the war for dominance in their heated kiss.

 

Momo whimpers in the bed. Sousuke can hear Ai on the top bunk breathing soft and low, definitely asleep, but it’s two in the morning and he knows for a fact that neither him nor Momo have gotten even a second of shut eye. He squeezes his eyes shut when Momo gets up to presumably go to the bathroom (again), but cracks one open when he stops at Rin’s drawers, routing for more pain killers.

“Are you in pain?” he whispers into the darkness.

“Ah… yeah,” the shyness is so obvious.

“It’s so late. You need to sleep.”

“I _can’t_ sleep.”

His voice cracks, just a little, but it’s enough to make Sousuke sit up automatically. He squints as Momo sits on the side of the bed, swallowing the pills with a swig of water, and meets his eyes as he sets the cup back down.

“What was it Nanase did?” Sousuke asks, completely rhetorically, as he gets on his knees to shuffle closer. He can feel the heart from Momo’s body, but it’s more welcoming than uncomfortable. “Lie down.”

Momo does, and Sousuke gently slides in beside him. Momo’s back arches over as he senses his closeness, making it easy for Sousuke to curl over him, and he’s lithe enough that Sou has enough length in his arm to both cuddle _and_ reach up to his neck.

“So I just…” he brushes his fingers on the underside of Momo’s jaw. “That nice?”

Momo purrs.

Sousuke hasn’t slept a wink when the alarm sings out into the room, and his fingers are pretty much numb from his constant petting of Momo’s neck. But Momo has, so that’ll do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUITE POSSIBLY THE MOST AWKWARD CHAPTER I HAVE EVER WRITTEN  
> Stupid boys and their stupid ass periods.   
> daxii on tumblr.


	5. Chapter 5

Makoto’s noticing it more these days – how the Omega parents hover at the door rather than coming all the way into the club room, how the young girls on the 11-14 team blush and scamper away, and how much rougher Sasabe’s claps on the shoulder have become.

“How are Haru and the others doing, then?” he asks as Makoto is finishing tidying the locker room. He’s been helping him out a few nights a week at the ITSCReturns while they haven’t been able to use their own pool.

“I suppose you know about Haru and Rin?” he smiles, and Sasabe nods. “Nagisa and Rei have been spending a lot of time with him, too. I don’t know if he’ll cave and take them in, though. He’s still resisting to all of this.”

“He’s doing a great job with Rin! Why’s he so worried?” Sasabe gestures to the bench and they both sit.

“Way better than I ever could.”

“Don’t say _that_ ,” Sasabe slaps his thigh. “You do _great_ with the kids. That’s all Alpha technique.”

“It’s not the same though, Haru’s so –”

Sasabe cuts him off. “But you’re _not_ Haru. Haru’s… Haru. I don’t think there’ll ever be an Alpha the same as the next one, but Omegas are all different too. You’ll find someone who works for your style, I promise. It’s like swimming.”

“More like _drowning_ ,” he mutters under his breath, but masks it with a smile and makes his escape.

There’s a familiar face in the carpark, bounding over, backpack bouncing, bubble-gum hair all over the place until he’s right up in Makoto’s face.

“ _Hiii_ ,” Kisumi gushes, hands on his shoulders a second later. He’s like Nagisa on crack and Mega Mushrooms, and Makoto has to back him off just slightly with a pat on his back just so he can breathe. “What’s up, Makoto? You look pretty down… need a hug?”

“I…uh… actually,” Makoto looks down at the Beta, with his big warm smile and sweet scent. “Go on then, yeah.”

Kisumi wraps his arms around Makoto’s shoulders, face snuggling in the crook between his neck and chest. Makoto spreads his arms around his back to squeeze him tight, head resting on his shoulder, and they just stand for a moment.

“Go on, what’s up?” Kisumi finally says, pulling back and starting to walk.

“Just stuff… I guess it’s Alpha hormones or something.”

“Stressing? You shouldn’t. Hayato loves you. If he presents as Omega I bet he’s going straight to you!”

“Kisumi! He’s _seven!_ ”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. But I know you’d look after him even if that _did_ happen. I feel like you’re naturally protective, or something?”

Kisumi says it so casually, as if it’s not what Makoto’s been struggling with for nearly a year, and he plonks down onto a bench. “I’m not _dominant_ though. No one does what I say… I don’t have that power Alphas are supposed to…”

“And that’s a bad thing? Haru just _looked_ at me the other week and I had to turn around. No one needs that kind of power.”

“Haru doesn’t even mean it half the time,” Makoto lies. He knows of the incident and knows he was with Rin – and knows he wasn’t letting anyone as clingy as Kisumi within a mile radius. “So I guess it’s good I don’t do that but… I’m just not cut out for it.”

“You’re only seventeen! Don’t _worry_ so much. Don’t they still consider the entire college period a _practice_ time? Do one of those brotherhood things. I know you’ll find someone.”

“But I don’t even know if I want that kind of power! I just want to have a normal partner, you know? Just love someone like my parents do…”

Kisumi is pressed right against him when he sits down too, soft and warm, and Makoto leans his head on his shoulder.

“Well then how about the two of us hang out after school on Saturday? I’ll even pick you up at the gates.”

A moment spins out, then 2, and Kisumi just gazes at him seemingly innocently. Face open, kind, so kind Makoto can hardly believe himself with what he says next.

“Yeah… alright. And how about you let me walk you home tonight?”

Makoto blushes as Kisumi links his arm through his, but it doesn’t feel unnatural as they walk through the empty streets. They pause to see the sun setting, close, but neither one quite daring to initiate anything _closer_. Kisumi spins into a hug at his front door, nuzzling Makoto’s neck and getting a lick of his glands. Kisumi barely has the hint of an aroma, but Makoto assigns it to memory anyway.

He gently brushes the side of Kisumi’s nose with his thumb before leaving. The silence is awkward and full of blushes as he turns to head back down the driveway, but there are butterflies in his stomach nonetheless.

 

Makoto blushes as a shirtless Rin opens Haru’s door, but manages to just smile and let himself be led through to the kitchen where Haru is cooking. Rin hops up onto the counter beside the stove, earning himself an irritated _tsk_ , but takes over stirring duty as Haru turns to Makoto.

“You look like you have news?” he questions in greeting, sniffing the air and looking him all over. Makoto thinks it’s sort of Alpha-ish, the way he’s assessing him, but isn’t as annoyed with this as he maybe should be.

“I… I think I just got a date.”

He knows his ears are already red, and the blush just spreads all over as Rin gives a wolf whistle. “Anyone we know?”

Haru’s still looking at him. “Not Omega…” he deduces, and Makoto just nods.

“ _Who!_ ” Rin presses, and lashes out a playful kick. Haru scolds him with just a look, but Makoto doesn’t mind.

“Uh… Kisumi, actually. He met me at Sasabe’s tonight and I walked him home… we talked.”

“Smells like you did a lot more than just _talk_ ,” Haru mutters. Rin kicks at him instead now.

“Sounds to me like someone might be _jeeeaaalooouuus_ ,” he sings the word.

“We _hugged_ ,” Makoto insists, blushing all over and shrinking back under Haru’s stare.

Rin hops off and gets Haru into a hug. It’s surprising how just a kiss on the cheek can reel Haru in and get him back towards chopping his vegetables, as if nothing crossed his mind at all.  

“Not _jealous_ ,” Haru grunts, and Rin kisses him again.

“No, you just worry about our Mako. Even as an Alpha he’s not safe from you being such a _mum_.”

Haru says nothing, and ignores them both as he finishes the soup. Makoto is served a bowl without even being invited to stay, and they eat in a serious silence. It’s something about Haru’s attitude. It’s shifted into something serious, and he looks vacantly away from them like he’s thinking over something hard.

“Rin?” he summons him closer. Not to talk or pull him in, he just laces their fingers and stares at their hands while he tries to find words. “I wanted to talk to both of you. I want to invite Rei and Nagisa into our pack but…” he looks at Makoto, watching the smile leave his eyes as he comes to the conclusion that’s _another_ couple of friends he’ll end up losing. “You mentioned the Brotherhoods. And I think I want that, too. But if that’s not okay with both of you, then…”

“I’d _love_ that!” Rin squeals beside him. “Why didn’t you mention this _sooner, Haru?!_ ”

“Because I can’t read your mind. Makoto?”

Makoto just nods, slack jawed and dumbfounded, but he’s so happy he feels like he could cry. Haru doesn’t wait for him to speak.

“Rin is still mine. But you can have whoever you want, too.”

“Even Kisumi?” he blurts out, blushing, and Haru sighs. He hadn’t even considered the thought of possibly _sharing_ at Rin.

“Even Kisumi. But we’ll have to get neighbouring flats in college or something. I’m not living with that.”

“You’ve been thinking this over for a while, haven’t you,” Makoto says, feeling worried over the way Haru has withdrawn, knees all curled up like he’s made a mistake. “We could have talked more, if you’re not sure…”

“No. I’m sure. I just didn’t know how to say it. It’s hard.”

“It’s _easy_ ,” Rin is being completely unhelpful. “You two just have to not kill each other, right?”

Makoto smirks. “Something like that. You’re always so blunt, Haru.”

Haru just nods and shuts up all together. Rin hooks him under his arm and manages to strike up unrelated small talk with Makoto, until it’s getting close to curfew for Rin.

“I want you to stay…” Haru whispers.

“I know. But I can’t. Soon, and you won’t be able to get rid of me at all.”

“Let’s get him back to school, then?” Makoto offers. He watches for any reaction from Haru that he’s stepping on his toes, but the other Alpha just nods in agreement. “You room with Sousuke now, right?”

“Yep! Haru even faced him off to get me the bottom bunk!”

“ _Haru!_ ” Makoto’s gasp is mocking. He works with Sousuke a lot in swimming and knows he can be quite the pushover.

Haru just shrugs and pulls himself and Rin to their feet.

They walk Rin to the gate as usual, but Haru steps aside for a second. Makoto takes his cue, moving up, and grinning, Rin puts his arms up around his neck.

“I’ve not hugged you in for _ever_ ,” he swoons, snuggling. Rin has a distinct scent of Haru. Both his herbal shampoo and bodywash, and then just Haru’s _scent_ , so similar to when they were young but now it’s almost like a musk Rin’s managed to bottle.

Makoto only holds him loosely, and it only lasts for a second. Haru looks uncomfortable so he doesn’t try for a nose rub – they’re not _that_ settled into this new dynamic after all. It’s only been an hour. Haru gathers him up as soon as he can, kissing and pampering more so than usual, but whispered words from Rin calm him down.

“I only want you,” he promises. “But I like having my best friends too. He’s like our brother… so is Sou…” well, maybe _he’s_ not quite Haru’s brother, but Makoto understands where Rin’s coming from – but then, he doesn’t have this same bond with Rin that Haru does. It must be a whole different realm for him just to let Makoto _look_ at Rin.

“I’ll try not to worry. Love you.”

“You too,” Rin kisses him, and kisses his nose.

He jogs into the building, and it’s too dark for them to even see him, but Haru knows his footsteps a mile off and knows just when they can leave.

 

“Do you want to sleepover?” Haru asks Makoto, sitting in otherwise relative silence on the train.

He sees Makoto flinch in shock, but then his head tilts and his eyes squint and he’s _smiling_ , and Haru smiles too. “Just like when we were kids?”

Haru nods. “Well, if we’re gonna do this…”

“Got some time to make up, don’t you think?”

Haru nods, and they return to their companionable quiet. He’s conscious of having neglected his friendship with Makoto these last few months – Rin just takes up so much of his time – but honestly, with how overwhelming it’s been to even _begin_ to think about the future, he hasn’t even realised how much he’s really missed Makoto’s company. They meet in the morning like the always have, and school is relatively the same.

But there’s this odd distance between them that was never there before. Makoto doesn’t take his hand to pull him out of the tub. Makoto keeps his distance rather than clutching onto him if he’s scared. Haru doesn’t quite get that urge to lean a little against Makoto when he just _needs_ his best friend.

 _He’s still his best friend_ , Haru realises all too suddenly, making himself jump a little bit. They’re walking now, maintaining the quiet. Haru likes it like this, and it feels better than it has in _forever_. Like they’re finally on the same page again.

“So I’ll just… grab a bag?” Makoto hovers at the bottom of the steps, and Haru just nods. “See you in a few.”

Haru watches until he’s inside the house, allowing the instinct to just wait and _worry_ for a moment, because he’s allowed that now. It’ll take a while to get used to, to let himself step in and actually remember how to _do_ something if Makoto needs him to, but he knows Makoto will pick right back up on that, which he’s glad for. At least with him doing the talking Haru might stop slipping up with his commands.

He changes the sheets on his bed when he gets in (because _Rin_ ), but then finds himself staring at the closet where he keeps blankets and spare towels and of course, on the top shelf, the guest futons. The last time he had them out was when Nagisa _insisted_ he and Rei stay over after making them watch a scary movie together with Rin.

They’ve always just shared the bed, and then when it was getting a _little_ uncomfortable when they both presented, they’d get the futons into the lounge so they were still close. None of that where one takes the futon on the floor all by themselves. But now he doesn’t know what’s going to happen.

Makoto lets himself in while Haru is still biting his lip over it in the bedroom, staring down at the bed like he’s lost.

“Oh, wow, you got a bigger bed?”

“Hn,” Haru nods. “After Rin started using _me_ as the mattress because he said the old one was too small.”

“Aww, I bet you ruined his fun. He probably just wanted a cuddle.”

“ _All_ he wants is cuddles,” Haru huffs his way onto the bed, stretching out like he can’t when Rin is all over him. “I’d say you won’t get that with Kisumi, but…”

“But it’s _Kisumi_ ,” Makoto laughs. “We’ve not even been out yet. It might not work at all.”

He joins him, sitting down as easily as anything and sprawling back against Haru’s pillows (because Haru’s already claimed Rin’s for his side – he’s not letting him have _those_ ).

“Please, he’s had a crush on you for forever. And you’re as bad.”

Makoto just blushes.

“What are you supposed to do with Betas, anyway?” Haru asks after a moment. He’s considering swapping into his pyjamas and just settling back down, but he wants Makoto to make the first move.

Which he does, while he’s thinking. “Hmm… I guess they’re not as needy? Not that Rin is needy or anyth –”

“Rin _is_ needy,” Haru shrugs. But he likes him that way.

“Right. Well. Less pressure? No heats… they’re safer…”

“At least with a self-lubricating asshole no one has to read five hundred words of awkward fingering.”

“I guess there’s pros to everything. I think Rei and Nagisa are just after that pack-feel, you know? Kinda like a big brother role.”

“But as a boyfriend, with Kisumi?” Haru’s ahead of Makoto now and snuggled under the covers, waiting while Makoto goes to turn off the light.

He gets into bed without a second of hesitation. “Well… maybe we’ll work that one out in a few months? It makes me worry about ever mating with an Omega for a proper pack though…”

Haru rolls over, facing him, and Makoto is already looking right back at him. He holds out one arm, just a silent little invite, and Haru buries his way under it. They haven’t been this close in _years_.

“I wish I’d started dating Rin when he _wasn’t_ in heat. I don’t like how fast it went. How it was all based on sex.”

“But you’re good now, right? You’re so cute together.”

Haru just smiles, hidden in Makoto’s shoulder, but then lifts up to look at him. He looks more comfortable than he has since Haru really came into his Alpha status _months_ ago, and it amazes him how they managed to make it so difficult. He knows they should blame it on bad media, rumours, and just general teenage angstiness, but really they were just stupid.

Silently, they brush their noses together. The sign of a pack. And, blushing, Haru rolls over and finally gets to be the little spoon again, all the while hugging Rin’s sweet smelling pillow to his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not happy with the title of this fic. Help?


	6. Chapter 6

Haru sniffs the air as he crosses the threshold, frowning rather fiercely. He dives his nose into Rin’s neck as he’s still trying to cling on and just say _hi_ , but Haru’s having none of it.

“It _stinks_ in here!” he scolds, looking around as if to find a pile of dirty laundry, rotten food, or even a decomposing corpse.

Nope. There’s just Sousuke. Sitting at one of the desks and scowling over at them. Haru drags Rin over to the bed, climbing onto the bottom bunk to lean back against the wall, laying out and getting Rin between his legs. They kiss, but not feverishly. Rin is conscious of Sousuke’s presence and the incessant teasing he’ll get later on.

Sousuke sighs from where he watches. “Fine. I’ll go for a shower or something. Since he’s here to jizz on your neck anyway.”

He makes such a show of dragging himself to the en-suite that Rin is almost tempted to get one step ahead of him and unzip Haru’s jeans before they’re even alone. It’s probably a good thing he’s waited, because as soon as the bathroom door is closed, Haru is groaning into his shoulder.

“I can’t get hard when it smells like _this_ ,” he whines, and it’s not hard to figure out that he’s pretty much only trying to breathe air that smells like Rin. “How do you _stand_ it?!”

Rin just shrugs. “I smell like you anyway… I don’t notice it. Stop being so dramatic. I need this to have calmed down before classes finish!”

“Suck me off or something then!” Haru snaps. He’s so agitated that Rin flinches, and while Haru looks pained at his reaction, the little pat on the shoulder he gets as an apology is barely even half hearted.

Haru is already somewhat annoyed with him for making them both skip Saturday morning classes, but he wants to go out with Sou, Ai and Momo this afternoon , and Momo’s really going to need him in the drug store. But Haru won’t let him out without him without a top up. So here they are, while everyone else is in lessons and Sousuke is _supposed_ to be doing swim-captainy things. Rin cups his face, trying hard to be comforting and understanding, and Haru takes a few deep breaths to calm down.

“Sorry,” he finally says… more like offers… but Rin doesn’t mind. He can see it clear as day just how _upset_ Haru has got, and edges his way into his arms to straddle his lap.

Kisses should hopefully make up for everything, on both sides, and Haru’s hands coming to rub up and down his back show he’s softening up.

And… uh… _staying_ soft.

“Can you really not get hard?”

Haru makes this muted squeaking-grunting sound, and is otherwise hidden back into Rin’s neck. “Don’t laugh.”

“I’m _not!_ ” he is. “Come on then. Blow jobs before breakfast.”

“Just get me hard so I can mark you. Tell Yamazaki to drop you off home later.”

The way Haru says _home_ makes Rin’s heart flutter just a tiny little bit. Like it’s really _theirs_.

“I can drop myself off later, thank you very much,” Rin snips in between kisses down the front of Haru’s shirt.

Haru says nothing, just huffs out this long, disbelieving sigh. Rin knows he doesn’t have a hope of getting to Haru’s alone anyway – Sousuke will _drag_ him there before he lets him get the train or a cab by himself. And it’s not even that it isn’t safe for him to be out. He’s not in heat _and_ he’s taken, but these Alphas and their _worrying_.

He opens Haru’s button and fly, having to reach in for his totally limp dick. He looks up at Haru as he slowly strokes him, but Haru’s thrown Rin’s pillow over his face. His hand winds into Rin’s hair though, running his fingers over his scalp as Rin pops the head into his mouth. It takes a few minutes of coaxing, but Haru finally starts to get into it and hardens in Rin’s mouth. He pulls it out, kissing up the leakage from the slit and Haru makes a little moan, and then pats his shoulder to get him off.

Rin assumes the position, on his knees in front of Haru, and can’t help but flinch as the hot liquid hits him. He’s _still_ not gotten used to that.

“Urgh.”

“Yeah, I know. Come back up here,” he tugs at the shoulder of Rin’s top (that he _needs_ to change before he goes out) and drags him to his feet and into his arms.

Rin keeps hold of his cock, pumping slowly as Haru gathers him in and they collapse back on the bed, kissing so much Rin feels like he might cum just from that, and Haru can sense it.

“Want me to finish you off?” he offers, smirking, and Rin just kisses him harder as punishment.

Haru’s hands run down him, one on his back and one on his front, slipping into his pants at either side. His thumb and forefinger clamp hard around the base of his dick, and Rin makes an embarrassing noise when two fingers slip effortlessly into his ass.

“You too,” Rin manages to mutter, pumping Haru as fast as he can with how boneless he’s becoming.

“Whatever you like.”

 

Sousuke creaks the bathroom door open and peeks out. The noises are unmistakable, and he honestly expects to find Haru ten inches deep with Rin bent over against the wall. Instead, it’s like two little virgins, kissing and squelching and Rin looks like he’s crying, frotting away like a pair of horny teenagers – oh. Wait. They are.

But then suddenly Haru hisses, pulling his hands completely from Rin’s pants and clutching him to his chest, whipping his head round and _hissing_ at Sousuke fiercely enough to propel him backwards into the opposite doorjam.

“ _Haru!_ ” Rin yells, wriggling his head up wards and holding Haru’s face. Haru is trembling, and visibly struggles to force his gaze away from Sousuke and down at Rin. “Calm down.”

Sousuke pants, riled up and genuinely worried. Haru flips Rin over, pushing him right into the corner of the bed, and rounds on Sousuke again. He steps off the bed, looking him up and down, and back up, holding such a hateful glare with him.

And then moves. Forwards. And Sousuke really shouldn’t be so intimidated his knees are buckling, but he is. He squeezes his eyes shut, flaring his nostrils, and just waits for Haru’s attack.

But the smell that hits him quickly has him coughing and rubbing at his nose, resorting to breathing through his mouth if he has to breathe at all, and opens his eyes to look.

Haru’s at the door, marking, not even just a few little sprays, he’s _marking_ , making his way around the room silently, so his scent touches everything. Rin is holding his pillow protectively, and Haru offers this weak little smile before marking the wall behind the bed rather than soiling the fabric.

“You’re like a fucking cat, Haru,” Rin scolds, but pulls him in, rubbing his back. “Are you alright?”

Haru just nods and clings onto Rin, who rocks him, and now it’s _his_ turn to shoot Sousuke a glare.

“Why were you _watching?!_ ”

“I didn’t mean to! Why were you two getting off when I was only in the shower?!”

Rin has no answer, just returns to kissing Haru’s hair and stroking his back.

“It stinks in here. I’ll be with the others when you’re ready to leave,” he rubs his face, a mixture of angry and embarrassed and upset all at once, and then there’s just this smell he cannot cope with any longer. “If he’ll still let you,” he spits at the end, and doesn’t stop the door slamming as he leaves.

“He will!” Rin calls after him, and Sousuke can barely hear his following whisper. “You will, won’t you? You love me.”

 

Rin arrives at Momo’s room just before they’re about to set off without him, looking a bit like a kicked puppy but otherwise settled. Momo’s not really sure _what_ went on – Sousuke won’t say anything other than swearing about Haru spraying all over his room – but everyone seems to be acting pretty natural, so he’s just gonna roll with that too.

Rin and Ai walk ahead of them, and Sou’s arm keeps brushing against Momo’s no matter how many times he inches over, but he doesn’t look at him at all, just frowns into the distance. Momo’s feeling subdued, and realises it’s probably from all this Alpha pressure he can feel from Sousuke. It’s sort of attractive. 

Rin whisks him away once inside the pharmacy, and though Sou _looks_ like he wants to chase after them and stand guard, one quick look from Rin keeps him routed by the hair accessories. Momo’s embarrassed enough as it is without anyone else listening in. Rin throws all the items he’s decided Momo will need (and seems to stock up on his own too) and they’re heading for the checkout before Momo’s even read the labels on half these things, and meeting Sousuke and Ai back at the door.

Suddenly, Sousuke’s grabbing both of them by the forearm and tugging them back a step.

“What the _fu–_ ” Rin starts, pulling away.

“ _Shhh!_ ” Sousuke hisses, and nods towards the middle of the mall.

“Isn’t that Tachibana-san?” Ai asks, gently prising Sou’s hands from their arms before he can hurt.

“With _Kisumi?!_ ” Rin can hardly contain his shock. He knew it was happening, sure, but he really wasn't expecting such _progress_  so soon. Sousuke is shushing him again.

“Since when…?”

“Are they holding…?”

 

Kisumi’s palm is sweaty in Makoto’s, but that’s because this guy is just so _warm._ Makoto hasn’t complained, so Kisumi isn’t going to miss out on more of this by pulling off.

“Should we get something to drink?” Makoto asks, voice soft and gentle and just the opposite he expects from such a large Alpha frame, but it’s kind of comforting.

“Smoothies?” he suggests, hopeful.

“Anything you like.” Makoto squeezes his hand and they head down another corridor.

Kisumi has to wipe his hand on the side of his jeans when they sit down to peruse the menu while the line goes down.

“I’m thinking apple?” Makoto muses. “Or the banana and coconut… I hate having to decide. What are you getting?”

“Strawberry shortcake!”

“Why am I not surprised?” Makoto leans across the table, propped on his elbow.

“Oh, I don’t know, _why_ aren’t you surprised? Could it be because I just gave away the secret to why I’m so sweet?”

Makoto’s blushing, opening up his mouth like he’s trying to think of a witty, flirty come back, but just ends up dropping his head to the table in defeat. Kisumi combs his fingers through his hair until he recovers.

“I’ll just go and get that then, hmm?” Makoto gets up, and Kisumi follows him with his eyes for just a second, before scrambling to go with him. “Nope,” Makoto clamps his hand on his shoulder, “you’re mine for the day. This is how it works.”

Huh. Right. A shudder runs over him. And this guy said he couldn’t Alpha? It’s probably more to do with them both having long legs than anything else, but Kisumi is making a little game out of bumping knees with Makoto under the table when he returns with their drinks, even while he’s pretending not to notice. That is, until Makoto’s hands disappear under the table and clasp hold of his knees.

Kisumi squeaks.

“Cheeky, aren’t you?”

It’s like the tables have flipped completely. Now Kisumi’s the one who can’t find the words, only stutter and blush as Makoto’s hands knead at his knees, gentle fingers running up his thighs and back down. He settles to just rub circles with this thumbs, leaning down to get his straw with no hands, and looking up at Kisumi from under his floppy fringe as it slips into his mouth.

Kisumi squeaks again, and Makoto lessens off.

“What would you like to do for the rest of the afternoon?” he’s flipped back to polite again, and Kisumi is just exhausted with whiplash at this point.

“Erm. Movie?”

“Sure. Anything caught your eye lately”

“N-no… Movie at… home. I can make us popcorn.”

“Oh.”

“Ok?”

Makoto just nods, and Kisumi has the control again, standing up and stooping down to take his hand, stacking their cups in the other and oh-so-practised-from-basketball tosses them into the bin on their way out.

“Who’s house?” Makoto finally asks. They can head in this direction for a while, but sooner or later they’re going to have to turn off.

They’ve hit a bit of a snag here. They both have parents. They both have siblings. Not things that really amount to getting much _privacy_.

“Actually,” Makoto squeezes his hand and they speed up. “We can go to Haru’s.”

What?


	7. Chapter 7

Haru is confused when there is knocking on his door. Rin wouldn’t be coming over so early, and never even knocks at this point, being quite comfortable with showing up and letting himself in through the back, dropping his clothes around the house as he hunts Haru down and throws his naked body into his arms, and just the mental image has Haru smirking as he opens his door, one arm ready to extend and pull him into a hug.

And then drops it a second later. “Makoto? … _Kisumi?_ ”

“Hey, Haru! How are you?” Makoto asks, stilted and overly polite.

Haru frowns. This might present itself as a great opportunity to vent about this morning, maybe seek some advice, but with _Kisumi_ here, well… “Fine…” is all he says, blocking the doorway with his body.

Makoto does this thing, like a nod and a head tilt all in one, with this stupid smile and his eyes sort of shaking in worry, and it’s… it’s not an Alpha move. Haru’s pretty sure he’s not moving out of pressure. This is like guilt. Haru just sighs as Kisumi steps up, following Makoto like a little puppy, but – for Makoto’s sake – keeps his eyes downwards so he doesn’t _accidentally_ scare him off. Makoto probably has a perfectly good explanation.

They go into the lounge, Makoto going straight for the little cupboard of floor cushions and getting them out. He runs his hands over Kisumi’s shoulders and gives a little push, coaxing him down, and then backs off. He marches over to Haru and cocks his head in the direction, and Haru follows just as lamely as Kisumi was. Maybe _this_ is Makoto’s Alpha trait.

“Alright. What’s up?” they say in unison, and have a few seconds of babbling before Makoto relents first.

“I didn’t know where else we could go!” he confesses. “I just had this idea… and it was just in the moment… I got way to ahead of myself. I’m so sorry, Haru.”

“So you thought you’d use my house to… what? Are you mating him? Don’t go in my bedroom.”

“No, no!” Makoto quickly babbles. “Just watch a movie… cuddle. Kiss,” he blushes all over the last word.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to have him near Rin…” Haru feels like kicking his skirting board at just the _thought_.

“Where is Rin, anyway?”

“Out with Yamazaki and the others. He’s supposed to come by later, but…”

“Did something happen?”

Haru nods, but that’s all he manages before he feels like he might snap again. Makoto can clearly sense it, and shrinks back. Haru just wants to kick _himself_ instead now.

“I almost killed Yamazaki this morning,” he confesses, hunkering over his counter so he doesn’t have to see the disappointment on Makoto’s face. “I don’t even know if Rin _wants_ to come tonight.”

“You fought? Are you hurt?”

“No. I just pretty much pissed all over his room. I don’t even know why.”

He has absolutely no idea why, and ended up forcing Rin’s questions quiet with kisses, and will deny to absolutely everyone that he cried on his shoulder for a minute.

“I completely lost control.”

“But you _didn’t_ attack him? What did he do?”

“Came out of the shower at the wrong moment,” Haru at least has the decency to feel a _little_ bad about getting it off with Rin with him so close, in hindsight. “Rin was upset.”

“With him?”

“With me.” Haru hides his face in his own arms, and Makoto’s hand rubs up and down his back. “I hate it. I have no control.”

“ _Haru!_ Don’t say that. You have more control than any Alpha I’ve even heard of!”

“But what if I’d have hurt him?! What if I’d hurt _Rin?!_ ”

“But you didn’t.”

He wanted to.

“You peacefully proclaimed your territory. That’s what you’re _supposed_ to do.”

“But it’s not my territory!” Haru’s yelling now, and suddenly turns to the door where Kisumi has appeared.

Makoto turns too and steps in front, and that’s just all the confirmation Haru needs that he’s so _dangerous. Volatile_.

But Makoto is relaxed and encouraging Kisumi forwards, tucking him safely under his arm. “Haru… I don’t think anyone expects you to… you know… _talk it out_ in a situation like that. I’d have reacted the same. Probably worse. Heads would roll. And I think Sousuke understands that anything to do with Rin _is_ your territory. I’ve spoken to him… he’s just glad they can still be friends. He respects you so much, Haru.”

“Do you want us to leave, Haru?” Kisumi puts in, and Haru doesn’t quite recognise his sombre tone as his, forcing himself to look up and really study him. He’s smiling, as always, just barely shorter than Makoto enough to fit under his arm, leaning his head towards his shoulder like he’s enjoying it _despite_ the topic. Makoto isn’t holding him to protect him from Haru – he’s just holding him, like Haru holds Rin when they’re alone. They probably haven’t really had much of a chance at that.

Which brings him back around to their presence in his house.

“Just don’t have sex in my bed,” he grunts.

“ _Haru!”_ Makoto whines, and Haru knows that their intentions really are pretty innocent. He knows that happy feeling of just having them _close_ well, and isn’t going to deny it for either of them.

“I’m going to find Rin. Help yourself to anything. Not to my bed.”

 

Makoto let’s Kisumi free with the kitchen to pour them some drinks and goes to walk Haru to the door. He’s tense, fumbling with his shoes like his hands aren’t working properly, and Makoto pulls him up off the bottom step and into a hug.

“It’ll all work out. I promise.”

Haru isn’t looking so confident, but let’s Makoto bring his head in and rub his nose anyway. With him out the door and on his way to walk the route Sousuke would bring Rin if he was walking him over like they’d arranged, in the hope of meeting him half way, Makoto turns back to the lounge and finds Kisumi sprawled out on a makeshift mattress made of the floor cushions.

“Comfy?” he asks, more amused than he should be considering his best friend’s distress.

“Mmhmm,” Kisumi purrs, extending a hand towards him. “Am I right in thinking you told Haru we’d come here so we can cuddle?”

“Um…” Makoto can feel his face heating, and comes close enough for Kisumi to reach up and stroke his pants. He doesn’t dare answer.

“Because I’m still pretty lacking in the cuddles.”

Makoto smirks. Kisumi’s more forward than he’ll ever manage to be, but he’s actually pretty glad _one_ of them isn’t shy and awkward. He doesn’t really know where taking him out for smoothies and holding his hand actually leaves their relationship status, but cuddles are a step in the right direction, surely?

He kneels down, letting Kisumi tug at him and get him flat on his back. There’s no way they’ll both fit on the cushions, but Kisumi has a solution to that, too: turning Makoto into his mattress.

“Um… Kis?” he tentatively sets his hands on Kisumi’s shoulders. He rubs his thumbs up his neck, but it also keeps him from leaning closer.

“Hmm?” he purrs again, all lazy and trying so hard to just flop down on top of him.

Makoto moves one hand to the small of his back. “You’re very close.”

Kisumi heaves himself up a little. “You don’t like it?” It’s more a statement than a question, but Makoto shakes his head.

“It’s… nice. But it’s a bit… soon?”

“Oh.” Kisumi doesn’t move.

“Are we not… putting on a movie?”

“I guess.” He still doesn’t move.

Makoto doesn’t know what to do. A hint like that from Haru would have had an entire team scrambling to get to the television first, but he has absolutely no infliction. He probably couldn’t even make an Omega move, let alone a Beta as headstrong as Kisumi, and finds himself once again feeling like he’s been born in the wrong body.

“Haru only has films with water in them,” he says, conversationally, and at least that gets Kisumi up with a little smirk on his fa- oh. Up and straddling his crotch with his knees. “Um.”

“I can see Free Willy and Splash from here. Does he make Rin watch all these with him?”

“Probably…”

“Huh. Guess they don’t really get much talking done though.”

Makoto just gulps. He can feel himself getting turned on, but Kisumi finally gets up and goes to Haru’s cabinet, looking for more DVDs.

“Titanic?” he suggests. “It’s long. Will we have time?”

“I guess so… I really like it, too.”

Kisumi just nods and deals with the player, and Makoto takes the opportunity to think un-sexy thoughts and get onto his side so Kisumi can’t squish him again. He looks put out when he shuffles back over, but quickly decides that being the little spoon isn’t _such_ a bad option, and Makoto’s much happier with being able to snuggle into his hair rather than being loomed over. Maybe it’s a power thing.

“Do you like having your neck stroked?” he whispers during the boring beginning scenes.

“Honey, you can stroke all of me.”

“No, I mean…”

“Like an Omega?” Kisumi rolls a little onto his back, scooching his head onto Makoto’s arm. “Probably not.”

Makoto says nothing, just gets the tips of his index and middle fingers and drags his nails down Kisumi’s jugular. Kisumi shudders, just a tiny bit, and rolls back onto his side. Makoto’s seen Haru do this a _thousand_ times with Rin, just stroking him because he can, because Rin likes it and it makes him go to jelly, because Haru just likes touching him.

It’s like things are on Makoto’s terms again, like he has a say in how far they go again, and likes having Kisumi pretty much pinned under the arm he has around him so he can’t roll over and jump two steps ahead of him again. It’s definitely a power thing, and Makoto has the distressing realisation that that kind of intimidation and _fear_ must be exactly what an Omega goes through when an Alpha decides they want them.

Well. That’s _one_ lesson learned for future reference.

He cries at the film. He _always_ cries at it, and it’s probably not the best impression to make on a first… _date_ , and Kisumi rolls over to completely face him, booping his nose with his own.

“You’re pretty cute, for an Alpha,” he comments, like it’s somehow astounding.

“You’re cute too,” Makoto says it automatically, and immediately blushes.

Kisumi touches their noses together again. “Hey. Did you mention kisses to Haru as well?”

“ _Kisumi!_ ” this isn’t how Makoto was expecting this moment to go. He whines, pulling Kisumi even more flush with him. “Don’t just _say_ it.”

“Maybe you should just get on with it, then.”

Makoto contemplates rolling Kisumi onto his back, getting on top of him and in his face. Sort of like payback. Sort of to take control. But… no. He wants an equal playing field. Maybe it would help if he actually knew what to do.

Kisumi does. He nudges at Makoto’s cheek until Makoto turns his head, and then Makoto feels their noses rub again. He wants to lean into his neck and rub his glands on him, but with Kisumi’s bright eyes burning into him, he can’t even move.

“I thought you were getting on with it?” Kisumi whispers when neither of them move for a whole minute.

“And here was me thinking you were cute.”

Makoto goes for a little peck, pulling off after they’ve barely even touched and burrowing his face into Kisumi’s shoulder, who he can feel chuckling away at his expense.

Well, they can work on it.

 

Haru makes it to the mall without any sign of any of the Samezuka boys, and his phone feels like a weight in his pocket. Should he call? Are they ok? Are they still here? He looks around for a few minutes. Surely they should be done by now though, having only been out on a trip to restock their heat-products. It sets something in his gut that… no, Rin _must_ have just gone back to school. Whether he intends to come by just to sleepover, Haru doesn’t know, but Haru isn’t going to go home alone to find out.

He turns around and heads back through the mall towards the exit closest to the direction he’ll need for Samezuka, but then the little greetings cards and gift shop catches his eye. It’s Makoto’s birthday soon, and he should really pick him something up in the next couple of weeks, and that’s about all the thought process he has until he sees the little red shark sitting on a shelf of plushies. It has a tuft of black hair and giant anime-eyes, and honestly, it looks like Rin.

Before he knows it, he’s bought it, and carries it tight in his hand as he picks up the pace to Rin’s school. The security staff know him well enough by now that they don’t even call up to Rin’s room to make him come and sign him in, and Haru is thankful. Rin’s probably going to be mad at him for just showing up, anyway.

He can smell his own marking as soon as he hits Rin’s floor. There are other scents about, but his is just _overpowering_ , and he feels like he should be blushing as he passes people in the corridor. He reaches Rin’s room and the door is… wide open. So is the window. And completely deserted.

Well how about that?

Probably “airing it out” or something Haru really can’t argue with, but now he’s just plain worried. He sets the little shark on Rin’s pillow, and takes off down to his old room that Ai now shares with Momo.

He knocks. He should probably knock on Rin’s door too, but he’s just in the habit of walking in now, and feels incredibly self-conscious to be stood waiting outside. And it’s taking a suspiciously long time for someone to come to the door, too…

“I bet it’s Haru,” he hears Rin sigh, probably just behind the door, reluctantly getting up to let him in. “It can hardly be anyone else, right?”

And then the door opens, and Rin’s looking at him with this soft little face. He’s a little on edge, but also looking thoroughly _pleased_ , and grabs his hand.

“Didn’t want to wait for me?” he asks, pulling Haru into the room so he can shut the door.

Haru’s a little bit shell shocked. Momo and Ai are on the bottom bunk and Sousuke is in one of the chairs, and it’s the other one that Rin pushes Haru into, taking up a perch in his lap before Haru has even found the words to speak.

“Missed you,” he grunts, nuzzling into the back of Rin’s neck. “And… uh… I was worried.”

“Hmm?” Rin turns in his lap, pretty much blocking out the others even though they can still hear him, but it at least makes Haru feel better.

“I thought I’d made you mad.”

“You did,” Rin nods, simply, “but it’s alright. I get it. Though I wasn’t going to show up?”

Haru just nods, head hidden against Rin’s shoulder.

“Don’t be _silly_.”

He tightens his grasp on Rin’s waist and tunes everything else out, just revelling in holding his Omega. “And I wanted to apologise.”

Sousuke snorts behind them, and Haru’s seriously considering dropping this guilt face and taking up a more assertive stance but… Sousuke reaches over and pats him on the shoulder.

“Coulda been worse,” is all he says.

“Hn,” Haru hums. Yeah. Much.

“We saw Makoto and Kisumi when we were out,” Rin chirps up, spinning back to face the front in Haru’s lap and leaning his head back onto his shoulder. “Holding _hands!_ ”

“Yeah?” Haru kisses the side of his neck, full of attention for whatever Rin says. “They came back to my place for some _privacy_.”

“Ah, so _that’s_ what’s got you over here. See, you weren’t really so desperate to see me. …Wait! Are they fucking in our bed?”

“No,” Haru’s pretty sure they _aren’t_ , and doesn’t even want to think about it. “Shut up.”

Rin kicks his heel into Haru’s shin. “Are they spending the night?”

“That’s not shutting up,” Haru kisses his neck again to show he isn’t really serious. “And I don’t know. I guess they can?”

“I bet those two will just cuddle for _ever_ if we let them. It’s cute. I’m glad Makoto’s found someone.”

Haru’s pleased too, but why did it have to be Kisumi? “Are you staying over?”

“Why don’t we… spend the night here? Let them have the house for the night?”

Haru winces. He feels like having another squirty Alpha moment, like a really angry tom cat, wouldn’t be a good move to pull twice in the same day, but he can’t help feeling a _little_ (lot!) worried about his home.

Sousuke clears his throat. “What, so I’m bunking in here, then?”

“You’ve done it before,” Rin snips.

Momo, who’s been so quiet, suddenly seems to perk up and gives Sousuke this long look.

“Which one of you two is sharing the bottom with me, then?”

Ai just goes red, but Momo’s grinning. Rin turns his head into Haru and raises his eyebrow. Yup, Haru’s having the same thought. Those two…

But Rin, apparently, doesn’t want to play along. “Ew, just sleep on the floor. No one wants to put up with you snoring in their ear!”

“You snore too,” Sousuke huffs, still looking at Momo, and gets up. Ai switches places with him immediately, still being very quiet and just _observing_ more than anything.

Rin scowls, like he’s about to argue, but Haru (for once) is right on Sousuke’s level. “You do,” he says, and Rin leaps out of his lap.

“I’ll deal with you later!” he tells Sousuke, and ducks down to whisper something to Momo.

Haru and Sousuke exchange a look, both confused and endeared, and then Sousuke smiles. Haru gives him one back, and it’s like it anchors a bridge he thought he’d set on fire this morning, and he’s more than happy to be lead back to Rin’s room.

“What’s this?” Rin asks, looking down at his pillow, at the little red shark.

Haru closes the door and hugs him from behind. “To make up for this morning,” he whispers.

“ _Haru!_ ” Rin spins in his arms, flopping back onto the bed and dragging Haru on top of him. He picks up the shark, taking a minute to admire it, and then presses its face to Haru’s nose. “Boop.”

 

It’s not really late, and god knows what Rin and Haru are doing back in their room, but Sousuke escorts his kouhais down to dinner without a peep from the other couple, and is just glad he can pick up some clean clothes from the laundrette on his way back up so he won’t have to barge in on them for any reason.

Ai is already swapping the pillows and quilt from their beds, not making a single complaint about losing his bed for the night, and Sousuke is glad. Momo’s wriggling around at his desk, like he’s all excited and nervous, like a little puppy, and when Ai has ascended his ladder and garbled something about _studying_ , popping his headphones in immediately, Sousuke sits down and pats the side.

“Get your computer. Let’s watch a movie?” he suggests, leaning back against the pillow he’s propped up against the wall.

“Sure. I got this subtitled documentary about stag beetles I haven’t watched yet!”

“That’s… that’s not really a movie, Momo.”

Momo’s face falls and Sousuke is immediately the worst person in the world. He takes the laptop from him and sets it on his knees, patting the space next to him. “Hey… no, I’ll watch it with you. It’s alright. Sit.”

Momo sits instantly, like a dog on command, right there on the floor.

“No… up here. You’ll have to squish in so we can both see.”

And squish in so Sousuke can lean to the side and smell his hair for a bit… the documentary is boring but Momo is completely absorbed, and Sousuke wonders how “casually” he can hook him under his arm without him noticing.

…Very, it seems. And he can stroke at his neck, too, just brushing his fingertips over the delicate skin.

Momo almost completely ignores him, until Sousuke pauses to twist the cap off his water bottle and the little Omega makes this annoyed little squeak at the loss of contact. Sousuke chuckles.

“I don’t know about your beetle thing,” he murmurs, getting Momo’s head tucked against his chest and his arm securely around him, tighter than before. “But you can be cute when you want to.”


	8. Chapter 8

Makoto squeezes Kisumi around his waist, rubbing his cheek on the shoulder in front of him to wipe off a tear, and rolls onto his back. Kisumi follows, flipping over and snuggling right into his side, head on his arm, and flops his arm over him.

“You big softie,” he whispers, and Makoto just pouts.

“You’re just heartless! Everyone cries at titanic!” he wraps his arm around him anyway, because he’s sort of addictive to just _cuddle_ , however awkward the kissing thing might have gotten.

“When’s Haru getting back then? How much longer do I get you to myself?” Kisumi asks, tracing his fingers over Makoto’s torso.

“Let me just text Rin.”

Kisumi snuggles him quietly while they wait for a reply, getting right next to his face so they can read it together.

 **Rin - > Makoto  
**Staying at mine. Busy.

“…Oh,” Kisumi says, hopeful while pulling a bit of a face. They really didn’t need to know that last part. “So can we…”

“Stay? I guess so.”

“Just not in their bed,” he laughs, and Makoto hugs around him even tighter.

“I’ll get us the futon. Hope you don’t mind a bit of a squeeze?”

Kisumi just smirks, and Makoto honestly feels like he’s just patronised him in some way, but resists the urge to apologise. He eases himself out from under Kisumi, and hesitates just a moment before popping a kiss on his forehead with an apparent casualness he absolutely does not feel.

Haru’s room stinks, but it stinks of Haru and Makoto can deal with that. There’s obviously a lot of Rin in their too, and he begrudges the fact that it will inevitably make him horny, and prepares to cover up an awkward erection with the spare covers he pulls from the closet along with the mattress.

But… it’s not happening. Rin smells _nice_ , and maybe it’s just all of his bond with Haru really maturing, but the Omega scent just isn’t doing much for him. He’s glad. Anything that makes Rin unattractive to other Alpha’s is a good thing, and on top of that it makes their Brotherhood so much easier. It probably works the same way for Haru too – that other Omegas just won’t be attractive.

He dumps the quilt on top of Kisumi, causing him to ruffle and scramble his way out of it. He pouts up at him, looking all adorable with this fake irritation, and Makoto smiles.

“Come here?” he coaxes, spreading out the futon. “Should we order in?”

He lays back down without making a move towards the take out menu, and Kisumi crawls over, lying on top of him without a word or even acknowledgement until he’s settling.

“See, plenty of room!”

Kisumi is cute. Very cute. Cute enough for Makoto to close his eyes and sigh as he’s overcome by a burst of butterflies in his stomach. It’s so natural when Kisumi’s lips come down onto his, and they join in gentle movements. Nothing heated, just little tastes of each other’s tongues. Kisumi has his arms braced either side of Makoto’s head, but Makoto has more freedom to rub over Kisumi’s back, drawing his t-shirt up and exploring the expanse of his toned muscles. His other hand tangles in his hair. They kiss until his stomach rumbles.

“I think Thai,” he pecks him again for good measure. “I want curry.”

“Sounds good to me!”

 

Rin throws his phone towards his bedside table and comes back down on top of Haru, finding his mouth again immediately. Haru’s been undoing Rin’s button and fly while he was trying to text, and _damn_ his boy is a distraction, so now his dick is dribbling onto Haru’s bare belly and if he doesn’t get his finger away from his ass it’s going to be much more than just a little puddle of pre.

“Are we not getting dinner?” he asks, whiney and rubbing against Haru as he heats up even more.

Haru just looks at him, like he’s considering just ignoring him completely and flipping him over to ram his ass, but he’s smiling, and comes up to hold his back instead, hugging him close and kissing his cheek.

“Are you hungry? I have my dinner right here.”

“Well we missed food in the canteen because _someone_ wanted to cuddle,” (mostly himself, but he knows Haru’s too contented to argue with him) “And I don’t know, I might need my energy if I’ve got you here all night.”

“Yeah?” Haru kisses his neck now, just flicking his tongue out to tickle his glands. “Why, do you have plans?”

Hell yes he has plans. Plans that primarily involve getting the rest of their clothes off and cumming until he can’t even see and they need to change the sheets before they go to sleep, but Haru’s just playing coy pretending not to know that.

“There’s that burger joint round the corner…” he continues, inflicting his voice with a generous helping of that neediness that makes his Alpha bow to his every whim.

Haru makes a _tsk_ noise and runs his hand back to his hole, sliding at _least_ three fingers in without any warning. Not that Rin even needs it at this point.

“Well, I can’t really complain if that’s all you want. And here I am willing to take you absolutely anywhere.”

Rin blushes. He needs like a week of warning before they go out on a proper _date_ , and he’s yet to enquire about getting a fancy meal on their repertoire, but it’s a bit exciting to know the option is there.

“I just want to eat. You can show me off another night, kay?”

“Kay,” Haru says, and pumps his fingers. “Let’s finish you off first though, hmm? Can’t have you being all fidgety.”

Rin silently agrees and lies down on him, rutting into his stomach in time with Haru’s thrusts. He’s finally gotten over the fact that _Omegas just cum quickly_ , and no longer gets embarrassed by his lack of stamina. But hey, Omegas make up for it in with their endless supply of multiple assgasms, so he knows he can easily outlast Haru if they’re really going for it.

He moans softly as he cums, spilling onto Haru who holds him in place, still fingering him.

“ _There_ ,” he purrs, and pulls out to lick his fingers clean from Rin’s own lubricant.

Haru says it tastes like those tangy candies after you’ve licked the sugar off. Rin thinks it tastes like crap which is… crudely accurate, to be honest, and he always ends up pulling a face. He’s not averse to licking his mess from Haru’s stomach though.

They clean up properly and change clothes, Haru just taking what he wants of Rin’s without much bother. It all smells like him anyway. There’s some obvious jealousy from the other students who are just having to make their way back inside as curfew approaches, but Rin can do what he likes as long as he has Haru’s nod of approval, and being on his arm lets them slide past security without even a question.

“I hate this stuff,” Haru grumbles, making a face at his fish sandwich.

Rin shoves a handful of fries into his mouth to shut him up. “It reminds me of Australia! We can’t go for miso and sushi all the time…”

Haru swallows. “I know. Anything you want.”

“Mmhmm,” Rin knows, and he smiles. For all the cons of being an Omega, all this pampering has to be a perk – and without even feeling guilty, because his Alpha rides a high off it just as much as he does. “Love you.”

The dorm receptionist frowns at them on their return, but there’s nothing he can say as Haru signs himself in for the night. Rin feels giddy as they make their way back to his room. It’s exciting, having Haru for a sleepover. The light is already out at Ai and Momo’s room, which is a little bit suspicious to be honest, but Rin’s too distracted by Haru’s teeth already stealing nips of his ear to care.

Haru is practically stripping him down in the hallway as Rin struggles with his key-card for his room, and is just holding his pants up as they move in, dropping them as the door swings behind them, shoving his shorts down a second later. It’s not hard to realise they’re going to finish what they started this _morning_ at long last. Haru’s cock is breaking out of his pants as he gets Rin completely naked and face down on the bed, and performs his magician’s strip-in-a-second trick while Rin gets his knees comfy and spreads his legs.

He’s still wet enough from their little romp earlier that Haru doesn’t need to do anything, and is just kissing his ass for the sake of it. Rin shudders as he slips inside, gripping onto the sheets as Haru starts to fuck him. There’s something sexy about their relative lack of privacy. The walls are so thin that his neighbours probably knew what was going down the second Rin breathed a moan into his pillow, and can probably hear the slap of Haru’s balls against his own as his pace picks up.

Haru pushes him flat on the bed, and it’s so wrong to fuck his sheets but Rin’s going for it anyway, and Haru ravishes the top of his back and shoulders with barely-painful bites that are sure to bruise, but Rin can’t even get a breath he’s moaning so much. Just a constant drawn being mostly muffled by his pillow as Haru grunts on top of him.

He wraps his arms right around him as he finishes – Rin having lost count of his own – but can feel his ass contract around Haru and draw out each long rope from him. They’re silent and still for a few, panting and sweating, until Haru pulls out and shifts to the side. They sheets are so soiled from Rin’s loads he doesn’t even care about letting it dribble out of him, but he’s glad he has an extra one on top so it won’t soak into his duvet.

“You really needed that, hmm?” he teases, rolling into him to twine their legs together. Haru just makes a little noise and pulls him tighter, not ready to converse yet. Rin is ok with this.

“Hope we didn’t hurt your shark,” he finally says.

Rin panics for a minute before finding it safe and unharmed on the nightstand, and reaches over to grab it and bring it into their cuddle.

“I need to name him.”

“Him?”

“Mmhmm. He’s like our first child. What does daddy suggest?”

Haru makes another little noise and curls up. It probably tugs on his instincts to talk about breeding, but he’s just so cute.

“Kaoru? Izaya? Maybe… Hiro?” Rin suggests.

Haru kisses him. “Bit boring. I expected more from you. Gotta be special.”

“Hmm… Same?”

“… Stupid. Same Shark. Shark Shark. No.”

“So _opinionated_ ,” Rin huffs.

“I’m just being an involved father!”

Rin snorts. “Alright, alright. Hmm… Sakura?”

“You would, Rin,” Haru sighs, but kisses him again. “But I like it. Sakura.”

 

Sousuke leans over to ease the laptop to the floor, under the bed, where it’s safe. Momo’s fast asleep on him, and he’s doing his best not to wake him. However, his efforts are proven fruitless when he grumbles and stirs, eyes cracking open and nose poking his cheek.

“You stopped,” he whines, sleepy and barely lucid, not even conscious of the cheek that could get him in some serious trouble if Sousuke wasn’t so endeared.

“Well I can’t do it all night,” he chides, but moves his hand back up anyway. “Lie down then, if you’re so tired.”

Momo does, so obedient, right on his arm where Sousuke wanted him. Sousuke has pretty good control of his commands – it’s so necessary for being Captain – so Momo must be doing it of his own volition. Sousuke breathes in the scent of his glands, giving them a rub with his nose, and wraps Momo up with the arm he isn’t using as a pillow, bringing his hand to stroke his neck again.

“You smell nice,” he murmurs, and Momo presses back into him.

“What of?”

“Pool… forest… kinda like me,” he takes another big inhale and gives him a squeeze. “You know… Rin says he likes being licked, more than stroked…”

“Mm?” Momo fidgets, trying to press back more, like a welcome invitation.

But he’s still so young, just barely sixteen, only in his first year, and Sousuke doesn’t want him making any life-long decisions while he’s still this bundle of hormones. But… he’d rather it was him, all the same.

“Do you want to… try?”

“Mm,” Momo repeats.

Sousuke sucks in a breath, exhaling against Momo’s neck and feels him shudder. He licks slowly and gently, just the tip of his tongue barely touching. Momo sighs, just verging on a squeal, and presses back into him even more.

That… that’s going to cause Sousuke some issues if he keeps rubbing his little ass like that as he writhes. He sets his hand on his hip to still him, and gets a bit braver with the full flat of his tongue. Tasting him, soaking his collar and his own sleeve where Momo lies. Momo keeps making all these little noises of pleasure, and Sousuke interrupts a few of his licks with a little kiss to his neck.

“You like that too, hmm?” he coos, breaking off for just a moment. “Roll over, other side.”

“Sou–” he whimpers, his name completely broken with his straining voice.

“It’s alright,” Sousuke kisses his neck again and eases him over, getting straight back into his neck.

Momo clings onto him now, teeth sinking into the flesh of his pec, but Sousuke can ignore it – at least it’s keeping his little moans quiet. His gasps become longer and staggered, his hips twitching again, and Sousuke suddenly realises what’s happening when Momo lets out a long sigh and goes limp.

He pulls off, wiping his neck with his fingers. Momo’s eyes are shut tight, catching his breath, but he makes no move to get away.

“Did you just…?”

“…Yup.”

Well isn’t that just something. “I’m sorry… I… I didn’t know it would do that. Wow.”

Wow indeed. Momo says nothing, but wriggles out of his joggers and shorts, cleaning himself up with them. He rolls back over, still on Sousuke’s arm, and Sousuke hesitates in hugging him again. At least, until Momo makes another needy grunt and then he just can’t resist.

“I’m sorry,” he repeats, kissing the much safer option of the nape of his neck.

Momo shrugs. “Can we… do that again?”

“Um…” Sousuke doesn’t know what to say. Yes? Yes he’ll get him off again just by dribbling on him a little? On what, a weekly basis or something?

But then No? Flat out rejection of the guy who’s one of his best friends? Who he’s loving spending this extra time with and just _can’t_ stop thinking about? He knows Momo’s face when he’s upset… he’s snarled in the direction of whatever or whoever’s caused it more than enough times, and he can’t do that to him.

“Anything you want,” he finally says.

Momo’s quiet again. He’s been comparatively quiet ever since he presented, and Sousuke doesn’t really like the change from just six months ago when he started school, such a whirlwind of energy and… annoyance, if he’s honest. But he got used to him. This subdued state he’s been in since does nothing but worry him.

“What about what you want?” Momo asks after a moment.

“Doesn’t matter. You matter. Now are you going to put pants on to sleep or do I get a naked Momo all night?”

“Naked.”

“Get your top off then, it’s all soggy,” and he needs to get his own off too. “You’re so messy.”

Sousuke pulls his pants up a little higher, them being the only thing keeping him away from Momo’s anus. He eases them both back down and lets the Omega get comfortable, apparently choosing to employ his chest as a pillow this time.

“I miss having you as a roommate…” he mumbles, nuzzling.

Sousuke doesn’t understand why it’s so easy to wrap his arms around him and kiss the top of his head, but that’s what he does without even a thought. “I miss you too. You don’t have a boyfriend to come and spray everywhere.”

“So that’s what happened?”

“He was just having an… Alpha moment. Getting protective.”

“Rin is lucky.”

Sousuke winces. That cuts a little bit, cuts something he can’t quite name, and he squeezes Momo to remind him of his existence. Is it jealousy?

“How does it really work?” Momo continues. “Did Haru choose him _just_ because he’s an Omega or is their more to it?”

“There’s got to be more, if it’s going to be good. I know Rin at least was crushing on Nanase for _ever_ , but you know how stubborn those two are. I think they just needed a good shove in the right direction.”

He doesn’t want to tell him the horror stories he knows he’s already heard. Omegas being picked up if they’re caught out in heat and bonded to an Alpha who has no intention of caring for them. Abused within the pack and barely kept alive.

He strokes Momo’s back, bare as it is, to put a bit of comfort back into both of them. It’s been a long day. And a weird one at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was nothing but beds and cuddles and smut and I just needed some indulgence ok?  
> Anyone else getting a bit of an addiction for SouMomo...?


	9. Chapter 9

There’s a knock on the door to Rin and Sousuke’s room, and Sousuke shoots this almost pleading look down at Rin from his bunk. Rin sighs, but gets out of his desk anyway. He’s normally pretty adamant about… sort of _avoiding_ doing what others want him to, unless it’s Haru, but Sousuke just looks so desperate he decides he can afford him at least a little favour.

He opens the door, and Momo is standing there, shifting on his feet and screwing his silly baseball cap in his hands.

“It’s for you, anyway,” he calls up to Sousuke, letting Momo take a step inside.

“Who is it?” Sousuke grunts, but rolls over anyway. “Oh. Hey. Are you alright?”

Momo looks like he’s about to squeak.  Or puke. Or cry. Or _something_ Rin doesn’t really want to deal with, and sends Sousuke the same pleading look he’s just sent Rin.  It’s the Alpha protective thing kicking in, and Sousuke pretty much skips the ladder and is on the ground in seconds, hand tentatively settling onto Momo’s shoulder. Rin knows that if he wasn’t here, Sou would be hugging Momo so tightly, probably lifted off his feet. He doesn’t know what little… _thing_ Sou and Momo have going on, but he’s definitely a third wheel right now. It’s pretty late, though, so there aren’t many places on campus he can go and wait it out in.

“Actually… I wanted Rin?” Momo says like it’s a question, even while he sneaks closer and closer to Sousuke’s side.

“Oh,” Sousuke’s face falls in what can only be disappointment. Sort of jealousy and definite _hurt_ written all over him. “Ok. I’ll… just step out then, ok?”

“Butt stuff?” Rin interjects. It should be obvious to Sou anyway, but apparently he’s a little bit _sensitive_ over anything to do with Momo these days.

“Sort of,” Momo agrees, and flicks a smile at Sou. “Sorry.”

But it’s done its job and Sousuke’s face has recovered. He squeezes Momo’s shoulder and gives Rin a look that probably translates into _don’t tell him anything stupid_. Not that Rin will. Sousuke hesitates, like he’s going to give Momo that giant hug anyway, but settles for touching his nose with his thumb instead, and then leaves the room.

“So. Butt stuff?” Rin prompts, nudging Momo towards a chair so they can get comfy for another Awkward Man Talk.

Momo sits, shuffles, and stands up again. “Um…”

“Hey, don’t be embarrassed. Trust me, I’ve done it all already…”

“Well… um… It’s not _really_ butt stuff…”

“Other Omega stuff?”

Momo just nods, but rocks on his heels.

“Sit,” Rin demands. And Momo, strangely enough, does as he’s told. “Tell me what’s up.”

“How… big is your dick?” Momo manages to whisper and blurt it at the same time, and it hits Rin like a ton of bricks.

No, no, _no_ he does _not_ want to go there. As is evident by the way he clasps his hands over his eyes and makes a noise like a dying cat. But Momo is just looking at him, so young and confused and downright _petrified_ with the whole damn situation, so Rin softens up to him.

“Just… Omega sized. You know,” he shrugs. It’s an entirely embarrassing topic for everyone involved, really.

“So it’s… alright?”

Rin nods. It’s a tough truth but… “Well… it’s not like you need it anymore. If you get a female Alpha who wants to breed then they can put you on some fertility treatment that’ll probably have some effect but other than that…” Rin can only finish with a shrug.

Momo doesn’t look at all convinced. “And Alphas…?”

“Yeah… you’ll get there. Don’t worry about it. And… speaking of… I think Sou wants a hug.”

“Really?”

“I bet he’s guarding the door and everything.”

 

Sousuke sighs, leaning on their open bedroom door and watching Rin flail around throwing things into his back pack.

“Have you got everything?” he asks, calmly, keeping his eye on the shark toy sitting proudly on Rin’s pillow.

“Yeah, I’m just gonna get my toothbrush and then we can go. You have Mako’s presents, right?” Rin nods towards the carrier bag sat at Sousuke’s feet, and Sou just nods in return.

Rin grabs his toothbrush a second later and closes the little shark-head travel cap around the bristles. It slots neatly into his bag and he zips it up. Sousuke’s still looking at that shark.

“Are you _sure_?” he asks again.

Rin gets this confused look, like he’s thinking it over, and suddenly turns towards his desk and takes out a file. “I should get the notes for that physics assignment…”

Sousuke sighs again. They’re already late.

“Hey,” a little voice chirps next to him, a soft hand on his arm.

“Hey,” it’s Momo, his beetle cradled happily in his free hand, and he looks into the room. Sousuke smiles down at him and slides his arm around his neck, tugging him back towards his chest

“You’re going out?”

 Momo tilts his head back to look at him, and moves his hand to rest on top of Sou’s where it’s on his shoulder, arm across his chest. Sousuke’s become quite conscious of just how much he _likes_ having Momo so close, and putting one limb or another between him and the rest of the world. Just as long as that pet of his doesn’t join in on the cuddle.

“Tachibana’s birthday party. I’m just dropping Rin off.”

“Haru’s helping out with setting up,” Rin pipes in to explain. “And they won’t let me go over alone.”

Sousuke is happy to see Rin just shrug, for once not rebelling and getting all demanding for his independence. It’s a good example for Momo, and Sousuke really doesn’t mind the trip out – it’s not even two hours out of his evening and he gets to make sure his best friend doesn’t die.

“Ok, I’m ready!” Rin declares, back pack zipped up again and flung onto his shoulder.

The shark still sits on his pillow. “You _sure?_ ”

“ _Yes_ , Sousuke. Honestly.”

“Well if you say so,” Sousuke’s gets his other arm around Momo’s waist to give him a squeeze. “And I’ll see you later, alright?

“Sure! And I got this movie we can watch too, and you need to see Pyunsuke’s new trick!”

This… this kid. Sousuke feels his heart just melting at that big silly smile. He gets so _excited_ and Sousuke loves the energy. He completely balances out Sousuke’s general preference towards peace and quiet. Rin is giving them a look.

“What about Sakura, Rin-senpai?” Momo chirps again, and that all-so-knowing look on Rin completely disintegrates as he whirls around and scoops up the plush.

“You ruined my game,” Sousuke scolds, ducking down to kiss Momo’s forehead while Rin is once again rearranging his bag.

“You’re _mean_.”

“Not to you.” Not where it matters.

He blanks Rin out for a second, who’s _actually_ ready this time and just watching them again. He nudges Momo’s nose just barely with his own – it’s still not quite there, still far more _familiar_ than _familial_. But it’s nice.

“Don’t wait up!” Rin calls to Momo, getting himself into the hallway and impatiently waiting on Sou. As if Sousuke hasn’t been waiting at least half an hour for him to pack and repack for his weekend.

“I’ll see you later,” he says like it’s a promise. He plucks Rin’s key from his pocket, met with only a half-hearted frown. “Have this. You can use my stuff to work on that trig from the other day, yeah?”

The trip to Haru’s, where they’re hosting the party because of two little blips named Ren and Ran, is relatively quiet. He can see Rin looking like he’s trying to find the right words, and he can easily assume it’s to address this whole _Momo thing_ , but they never come, and then he’s too swept up in Haru’s arms to get chance to talk to Sousuke anyway.

 

The room goes deathly silent as Haru calls out to Sousuke as he’s turning to leave. Makoto can see Rin tense, with his arm around Haru’s shoulders tugging him in, and Makoto does the same with his arm around Kisumi’s waist. Haru gives both he and Rin annoyed little glances before he looks back to Sousuke, who’s already reaching for the handle of the door.

“You should stay,” Haru finally says and Rin breaks into the biggest smile. “Just a drink, some food…”

“You’re more than welcome, Sousuke-kun,” Makoto nods in agreement.

“Let’s get this party _started!_ ” Kisumi - because who knew he and Haru could be such a dream team.

They’ve planned this whole thing. Kisumi’s set up a little bar on the island counter while Haru’s put on a great spread of all of Makoto’s favourite nibbles and the most _perfect_ chocolate cake on the table. There are balloons and banners strung across the ceiling and walls, Nagisa’s hooked up a speaker for his rather vast and… kinda questionable playlist, and they’ve obviously had Rei in charge of the colour coordination.

There are other classmates milling around too, and it’s quite the hot little house party. Makoto sways, feeling awkward and clumsy holding onto Kisumi’s waist while he grinds and twirls and gets _way too close_ with hot breaths in his ear, and even tricks him into a kiss far too intense for their audience. Makoto goes bright red with the ensuing cheer.

“Hey Har _uuu_ ,” Nagisa purrs. “Fujioka said I had to ask you if I can have a drink…”

“He what? Why?” Haru turns to him, passing a look with Makoto over his head. Makoto can only smile and shrug and hope Haru remembers how to read his mind. It’s obvious, really. “Oh… yeah I guess. Just one.”

“Har _uuu_ ,” Nagisa whines again, hands up on his chest.

“ _One_ ,” Haru’s harsher this time, and sends a nod over to their classmate who’s guarding the bar.

Nagisa pouts, and then it’s Rin’s turn to come sidling up to his Alpha.

“Nope,” Haru says immediately.

“Why not?! You let Nagisa…”

Nagisa has chosen a flamboyant and fruity cocktail, and twirls his way over to Makoto for yet another birthday hug, and they’re all relaxed enough that they can get a little nose bump in there too.

“Maybe later?” Haru offers. “I just… don’t want you to.”

“Mako’s letting Kisi,” Rin grumbles.

“Well Kisumi’s eighteen. You’re not.”

“You wouldn’t let me even if I was.”

“You’re right. Probably not…” Haru frowns, confused with himself and starting to get agitated with his argumentative Omega, but Makoto can understand where he’s coming from, and sets his hand on Rin’s shoulder.

“He’s just worried,” he assures him.

“Yeah but what about?” Rin turns away from Haru, who’s not paying anyone any attention anyway, just staring daggers into his cup of water.

“Everything. There’s so many people, and none of us are really big drinkers. Just precautions, Rin.”

“I’m not _helpless_. Can’t I have _some_ independa–”

Haru cuts him off with just a look, something so deeply ingrained in their bond he can silence and summon him in just a second.

“One. And you stay right here with me.”

“Got it, boss,” Rin leans in and kisses Haru on the cheek, nudging his nose forwards for a touch, and then twirls around to the kitchen.

“Thanks,” Haru grunts, stepping in closer to Makoto than he really needs to. “I feel bad.”

Makoto can offer little comfort, and getting into a complicated conversation might just kill the buzz of their party. Rin perks up considerably, and even manages to coax Haru into dancing with him. If Haru’s foot taps and shoulder rises can be _called_ dancing, but Rin makes up for it for both of them.

Sousuke, quiet and unfamiliar with most of the guests, makes a pretty good guard dog when tipsy Alphas start trying to get a little frisky with some of their Beta friends. The few Omegas who have shown up seem much more confident to hang out near Haru.

“Hey, happy birthday,” Sousuke comes over. “Nice party.”

“Thanks! Kisumi and Haru did most of the work,” and at the sound of his name, Kisumi pops up in between them, grinning and probably in need of a sit down at this point.

“I gotta be off though. Curfew and… my friend.”

“The little Mikoshiba?” Makoto knows from Rin and Haru that their first year friend recently presented. “How is he?”

“Still… dealing with it. I don’t really know how to help him…”

Makoto wouldn’t have a clue either, and can only offer his best wishes.

His drunk and delicious Kisumi is getting even more daring with laying on the PDA, getting them into the hallway for a hot make out session. Makoto too has had enough that he can allow his hands to wander more than usual, enjoying the feel of Kisumi’s tight tank under his nails as his scrapes gently across his body.

“How about we get out of here, hmm?” Kisumi asks, hot and breathy in his ear. “I’m sure Haru can handle getting everything sorted…”

Makoto suspects most of the tidying will be left down to Rei so he can set up the futon in the lounge for him and Nagisa, but he ends up nodding along with Kisumi’s wishes and making the rounds for goodbyes. He gets Nagisa and Rei into a group hug, giving them both a little rub of the nose to boot. He’s enjoying having this easy friendship with them as part of their extended pack, and they’re both just _thriving_ under Haru’s care. Rin likes to call them all a little family.

They’re sober enough to be conscious of their footsteps as they sneak upstairs in Makoto’s house. The twins would wake from the dead if they thoughts someone was up to get them a midnight snack, so they’re quick and quiet to use the bathroom and get locked into Makoto’s room (the bolt he never thought he’d need to install slid across for the first time since Kisumi started hinting for more sleepovers, and there’s such a tension in the air as they both stand looking at each other, awkward but excited.

“Happy Birthday,” Kisumi says for the millionth time. “How about a kiss?”

“Mmmm,” Makoto is more than happy to pull Kisumi flush against him and accept his affection. “Thank you.”

“And… there’s another part to your present, if you want it.”

Kisumi’s hands slide down Makoto’s back and his fingertips slip below his belt, just barely touching the hem of his boxers, but it tingles in all the right places.

“Oh?”

“I feel like my birthday boy deserves something special…”

“Kis…”

Kisumi says nothing and peels his own top off slowly, and Makoto can’t stop staring. He’s still transfixed when Kisumi’s nimble fingers get to work on the buttons of his shirt, nails ghosting across his nipples. Makoto moans, and immediately clamps his mouth around Kisumi’s shoulder to keep quiet.

“ _Kis…_ ”

Kisumi sinks to his knees and pushes Makoto down so he’s sitting on the bed, and works his way between his legs. He bites the button open on his jeans, and with his teeth delicately holding his zipper, looks up at Makoto, eyes all wide and dark and just _hot_ , for permission.

“If you’re sure.”

Kisumi laughs. “Does it look like I’m sure?”

He eases the zip down with his teeth. Yup… sure does.  

 

Sousuke stops dead in his tracks as a lump shifts in Rin’s bed. A lump that is most definitely _not_ Rin (unless Rin has somehow learned to teleport, because he _should_ still be at Tachibana’s birthday party – or more likely in bed with Haru by now). The silhouette sits up, scrawnier in the shoulders than Rin, but the bed head could be the same. The intelligent thing to do would be to switch on the light so Sousuke can stop freaking out. He’s not drunk a lot, but enough to make him not quite as diligent as he should be.

The intruder doesn’t respond kindly to light, and makes a strangled yodelling noise and buries under the blanket.

“…Momo?” Sousuke can feel a smile cracking.

Two arms fling out from the fluffy mound, head still covered, and Sousuke slowly approaches and crouches. The arms come around his neck, settling so naturally, and Sousuke pulls the whole thing close and hooks his arms around its back.

“What are you doing in Rin’s bed?” lithe little legs wriggle out and hook around his waist. He’s _probably_ light enough for Sousuke to just stand up and he’ll cling on.

Momo squeaks as Sousuke stands and flails one arm away from Sousuke’s neck to tip the blanket back over his head. He spends a second just in shock, staring at Sousuke, and then puts on a pout while adjusting the blanket around his shoulders and put his head on Sousuke’s shoulder, arms back around his neck, and breathes this long sigh Sousuke feels right through his body.

“You’ve got me…” he mumbles, legs tightening around Sousuke’s waist.

He does, doesn’t he? And he doesn’t really want to let go. “You give a whole new meaning to the term _bed bug_ , kid.”

“I’ll bite.”

“Uh huh. You all right, _Bug_?”

Momo snorts, nose nuzzling into Sousuke’s neck. “Yeah, just missed you. I’ve not seen you all week.”

“Yeah. You wanted Rin instead of me. _Butt stuff_.”

“It was _important!_ ”

“Sure. You know he told me, right?”

“Really?” Momo’s voice is undeniably anxious all of a sudden.

“Hey. I was worried. Don’t sound so upset, it’s just me.”

“It’s _embarrassing!_ ” he whines, straightening up again to look at Sousuke. “Ai-senpai laughed at me…”

“I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm. Speaking of… is this a hint you want to, uh, stay the night?”

Momo’s ducks in to rub his nose in Sousuke’s glands, and he’s probably being covered in scent. He just hums his agreement. They can’t sleep in Rin’s bed (Haru will smell it the second he’s through the door, and god knows they don’t want those repercussions), but getting this thing up to the top bunk doesn’t seem like the best idea, especially as Sousuke anticipates a lot of squirming and writhing if he’s to _lick his neck again_.

“Won’t he miss you?” Sousuke asks as he continues contemplating the bed.

“Glad for the peace…”

“Hey…” there’s such dejection in his voice that Sousuke cups his face, thumb stretching up to brush his nose. “You’re friends. And I know he worries about you too.”

He sets him down on his feet, deciding to make sort of a fort. He slides Rin’s mattress between the bed and the wall to act as a little sound proofing and gets his own down from the top bunk in its place. Rin’s pillows and blanket (prised from around Momo’s shoulders at last) are stashed safely in the bottom of his wardrobe. Momo looks pleased with the arrangement.

“Pulling out all the stops?”

“Gotta get the bed bug comfy, hmm?”

Momo smiles at that, and is agreeable when Sousuke points him towards the bathroom to get ready for bed, and changes into his own pyjamas so he won’t have to catch him perving on his dick. Momo comes out looking adorable in just his t-shirt and tighties and rolls onto the bed, burrowed in Sousuke’s blanket with the happiest little face. He uses the bathroom himself, and is conscious of how thoroughly he cleans his teeth.

“For such a little thing, you take up a lot of room,” he grumbles, pushing Momo bodily towards the wall.

“Do you think I’ll get as big as Sei?”

If he does, he might just break some Omega records. “Maybe Rin-size,” he suggests instead. He can still pick him up if he’s Rin-sized.

It’s as Momo is shifting onto him, getting himself tucked up chest-to-chest with Sousuke and positioning his neck at an angle which can only be described as _inviting_ , that Sousuke has the sudden realisation of how often he thinks of this thing with Momo being _long term_.

Of him being _his_.

He’s not even surprised that he’s rock hard and panting just as heavily as Momo when he comes down from his orgasm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (check me out with no idea how birthday parties should be done, right?!)  
> And does anyone else find they REALLY ACTUALLY KINDA LOVE SouMomo because I THINK I'M GONNA DIE OF IT HNNG


	10. Chapter 10

It’s another late night, and there’s another faint knock on their bedroom door. Rin is either asleep or too busy snuggling with his Sakura shark and texting Haru to notice, so Sousuke eases down his ladder and takes a peak. Yup, sleeping, curled on his side like a child with his shark all tucked in under his arm. Sou makes it to the door in one big step. He knows it’ll be Momo.

It’s always Momo.

Sousuke’s almost upset with how Momo flings himself into his arms, clinging on like a lifeline and squeezing the blood flow from his upper body. He’s so desperate and obviously so riled by _something_ , but he never really tells anyone what about (and Sousuke’s tried asking both Rin and Ai for help) but all Momo seems to want is Sousuke’s bed every week or so. He shows up as this emotional mess at midnight, but is purring like a cat when Sousuke wakes him up in the morning, curled tight to his chest or flat out on top of him.

He kisses his cheek as he eases him into the room, and points to the ladder to send him up to the bunk. There’s really not a lot of room, and it’s a good thing Momo’s so little or they’d have issues with the weight capacity – and it certainly won’t hold up to anything _else_ Momo has in mind.

“What’s up, Cuddlebug?” he soothes, lying down next to him and letting Momo wriggle over until he’s comfortable.

“Miss you,” he mutters, a new level of needy seeping in this time that makes Sousuke hug him even tighter.

“Well you got me now. Go to sleep, hmm?”

“Will you… my neck?”

He licks his glands once or twice but that’s all he’s getting while Rin is here. He’ll never live it down if his best friend finds out he’s been making a sixteen year old Omega jizz his pants every week. Stroking usually relaxes him enough to fall asleep though, so Sousuke quietly manoeuvres him to an easier angle, with their noses just inches away.

Momo’s eyes are wide as Sousuke starts to lean in, just grazing the tip of his nose at first, and pulls back.

“You ever gonna tell me what’s got you down these last few weeks? I can’t fix it if you don’t…”

“I’m fine.”

He’s not, and Sousuke frowns. He could force him… probably should, at this point, but that’s such a betrayal.

“Is someone bothering you? Do I need to kill anyone?” Sousuke moves forwards again to touch their noses, just leaving them together now.

Momo cracks a giggle that’s so close Sousuke can taste it, and shakes his head.

“Anything you need. I’ll do it.”

Momo rebuffs him again and scoots closer, the sides of their noses slotted together now, so he’s feeling confident enough to push the barely-there boundaries of their little thing. There’s still a line that keeps their lips angled away, but Sousuke can peck his cheek without much fuss. Momo makes a little humming noise, either acknowledgement or just pleasure.

“What are you doing for winter break?” he asks instead of being pushy.

“I might stay at school?”

“You haven’t seen your family since you presented…”

“Mm.”

Momo shifts downwards, nuzzling the crook of Sousuke’s neck now, knees balled up. “Have I… hit a nerve?” Sousuke asks.

Momo is silent. That’s all the answer he needs.

 

Maybe… maybe giving Nagisa a house key wasn’t Haru’s _brightest_ idea, he realises as a little face peeks around the kitchen door to grin at him. Right on time, as always.

“No Rei?” Haru asks in lieu of a proper greeting, not taking his eyes off the grill. In his peripheral he sees Nagisa brighten up and step into view, grinning away at being accepted in.

“Just me. He’s studying,” he gets on his toes to bump his nose into Haru’s cheek.

Haru grunts and turns to give Nagisa a proper Eskimo kiss. “You should be, too. Exams are in two weeks.”

“But _Haruuuu-chan_ , I’m so bored of studying. We never do anything fun anymore.”

Yeah, like he’s not had the same nagging from Rin since Haru had to put a stop on their weekend dates, and now all he gets is a sulky little pout while they fire questions at each other for their different curriculums. Makoto sometimes joins them, sometimes with Kisumi, which usually ends up with them ordering food and crashing out and only being half as productive as they should have been.

Which is why Rei insists on leaving their senpais alone to study (and bares to burden of entertaining Nagisa by himself). But during the week? Well, Haru’s company is apparently free game. Haru points Nagisa to the cutlery drawer and Nagisa obediently goes to lay the table. Haru serves up and makes them both bentos with the leftovers for lunch tomorrow (because he’s learned by now that Nagisa intends to spend the night).

“Here,” Haru says gently, putting the plate in front of Nagisa and getting a great big smile in return.

“Thanks, Haru!” Nagisa sings. “See, don’t you like having me over during the week? Makes up for not seeing me at weekends!”

“I see you at school.”

“It’s not the same, though!”

Haru sighs in sync with Nagisa’s deflating groan. Yeah. Ok. Hint taken.

“We can do something over break. All of us. Ok?”

“Like a hot springs? Or a theme park? Or the _zooooo?”_

“Maybe in summer,” Haru shakes his head.

“Hmmm…. Cinema, bowling, _pizza?!_ ”

“If you want.”

“YAY! Haru!” Haru is suddenly tackled into the floor, rice spraying everywhere as he takes a Nagisa to the face, barely managing to catch him before the whole plate tumbles to the floor. “This will be so _fun_. Makoto and Kisumi too?”

Haru nods. How could he not? They’re all the same pack now, however long they have to wait for it to be official. The premise is there, and it’s already respected at school. Not quite to the point where they call Haru in to nag Nagisa about his grades, but Amakata has been pretty liberal in dropping him hints whenever Nagisa has slacked with homework.

Speaking of. “Did you finish your assignment?”

Nagisa’s face falls. “Um…”

Haru gets them upright and separated. “Nagisa,” he scolds in a warning tone. He doesn’t _want_ to but… he really may need to start laying it on a bit thicker. “Can’t have next year’s swim captain flunking his finals…”

“It’s in my bag…” Nagisa backs off, sheepish.

“After dinner,” and they agree with a mutual nod.

Rather than setting up his school work on the table, Nagisa scuttles up to the bedroom while Haru does the dishes, and all Haru can do is sigh and follow him up. He’s come to expect this. Nagisa likes to cuddle, and doesn’t care if it’s Rei or Rin or Haru, just as long as there’s a shoulder to lean on. Haru doesn’t even need to wrap his arm around him, just angle himself so Nagisa can slope sideways and rest.

It’s cute, and really quite endearing, in its own special way. It’s a different kind than with Rin, not so much with the intent of kissing and cuddling and _that_ kind of affection, more this sense of security they both feel from being close. Nagisa probably had that _anyway_ (it’s just the type of person Nagisa is), but it’s a newer experience for Haru, and he’s only just getting comfortable enough with it to lean on Nagisa in return.

He knows Nagisa doesn’t need him to help him study, so just lightly reads his own material instead of actively intervening while he finally starts to draft answers. Haru nuzzles his hair in pride.

There’s an unexpected knock at the door after dark, and Haru is instantly on edge. He puts a firm hand on Nagisa to make him stay put and shuts the door on him, scooting down the stairs in what’s not _quite_ fear but he’s definitely concerned. And he’s definitely not expecting what he finds on the other side of the door.

“Kisumi?” he pulls him inside, soaked to the skin from the pouring rain. Kisumi’s face is red and blotchy, the rain doing a great job of camouflaging his tears.

Sousuke creeps in quietly behind him. Haru doesn’t really know what to do other than look between them and slowly let Kisumi come closer for a hug. He looks over his shoulder at Sousuke for some kind of explanation.

“I was coming to see you… found this on the way. I don’t know why he’s upset,” Sousuke looks concerned but is keeping his distance. Probably wary.

“Is Rin ok?” Haru asks immediately… because Sousuke coming to see _him_ , cutting it so close to curfew? That’s not right.

“He’s fine. He’s fine… I wanted to talk to you about… something else. But it doesn’t matter now. Take care of Kisumi.”

Haru nods and locks the door behind him, still confused, slightly concerned. Mostly relieved. And goes back to being concerned over Kisumi.

“You… don’t want to go to Makoto’s?” he stumbles over his words.

“The kids’ll be asleep…” Kisumi manages to heave. “I didn’t know where else to…”

Haru shakes his head. It’s alright. It’s all a bit weird and worrying, but it’s kind of his job. He’s the Alpha, he has the territory… and his pack his free to come and go. Even if it is Kisumi.

“Nagisa’s over too… come on.”

And Nagisa thankfully does a much better job with the comforting hugs, even though they’ve only met a few times.

“What happened?” Haru finally asks when Kisumi’s stopped crying. He’s hunched over the desk and his clothes are still soaked.

“Parents,” Kisumi dismisses with a wave of his hand. “Exams. College. Makoto…”

They get Kisumi showered and changed and feed him some toast, but are otherwise lost with what to do. Kisumi isn’t _Haru’s_ , directly, not in the way Nagisa and Rei are. He doesn’t have his scent, doesn’t have this bond that lets Haru step in and just _stop_ whatever’s bothering his Betas. And yet Kisumi won’t let Haru get Makoto over to fix him up.

There’s a smiley face left on the bedside table when Haru wakes up, Nagisa drooling on his shoulder, and no Kisumi. Huh. Nagisa sits up first, sleepy and rubbing his eyes, and looks down at Haru with just as much confusion that Kisumi isn’t in the bed or on the floor beside them (where he was _supposed_ to sleep, but Haru woke up at about 2 with a face full of pink fuzz where Kisumi had tucked up under his chin).

But that’s clearly not Nagisa’s first priority. “I don’t want to go to school…” he whines.

“Rei will miss you.”

Nagisa pouts.

“You can show him your assignment. He’ll be proud.”

At least food motivates him enough to get up and get going. The store bought pancake batter isn’t the best, but Nagisa will gobble up just about anything with syrup. Makoto meets them on the walk to school, giving Nagisa a big hug and a boop to his nose when he gets tackled. He doesn’t mention Kisumi. Neither does Haru.

 

“ _Hiiii_ ,” Rin trills and leaps at Haru, who he’s trained to catch him and twirl him around.

Sousuke rolls his eyes. Momo is by his side, which is a first for their joint practices. At one point, he would have thought he was mostly here to see Gou but now… now he gets this little ball of butterflies in the pit of his stomach when Momo looks up at him, longingly, like _he_ wants to be spun around and kissed hello.

Damn, he should have spoken to Haru last night. But then… Kisumi. He’s surprised to see Makoto looking so calm and collected, like he doesn’t even know how upset his boyfriend was. Would Haru really not tell him? Maybe he’ll have to question that too, when he finally manages to get some help on just what to _do_ with his little Omega.

Apart from, you know, put his arm around his shoulders and walk him to the locker room, shooting a glare around at anyone who might be considering a smirk.

Practice has become lazy. It’s so cold out now and of course with the looming exams, there’s much more focus on fitness and stress relief. He’s so distracted watching Rin working Momo just as hard as he had for competition. Probably why Momo’s always so worn out after practice (and so cute and placid and just snuggles under his arm with a movie. No licking needed). Haru swims laps alone. He considers disturbing him but… that’s probably not wise. Haru probably has the best idea though, so Sousuke tags along on the endless laps just to free his mind from everything.

Which is actually easier to achieve than he expected. The pool is empty when he hears Momo calling out to him, and swims towards the voice.

“Zone out?” Momo asks, sitting on the side and dangling his legs.

Sou shakes his hair out. “Mm… I guess? Did everyone…?”

“Go? Yep. Rin-senpai and Tachibana-san finished up. You even missed Rin having to drag Nanase-san out of the pool. It was funny.”

Sousuke can bet on it, if Haru was anything like as absorbed as Sousuke was. He’s lost an hour of his life with absolutely no regrets. And now he has a pool, and Momo, all to himself.

“You gonna swim with me, Bug?” he asks, holding out his hand to help him slide into the water.

“But Rin-senpai was so hard on _meee_.”

“I’ll be gentle.”

They can just… float. Sousuke gets on his back, and still tight with Momo’s and lets himself drift with little flicks of his feet. He tugs Momo towards him, trying to keep them close together (and keep Momo from getting giddy and trying to paddle off when Sousuke just wants the peace). But Momo wants to play, probably wants all that energetic affection Rin and Haru smother each other with.

So Sousuke lets Momo splash him, chases him, grabs him around the waist and tickles him, and loses himself just as much in this unadulterated _fun_ as he had in actively trying to wind down. Momo even manages to crawl up and cling onto him, locking his legs around Sousuke’s waist. He has these big golden eyes looking at him so expectantly, waiting for Sousuke to make a move. The best he dares offer is a nose into his neck. Momo’s wearing nothing but his tiny speedos, and as Sousuke gives him a few little licks, absolutely nothing is left to the imagination.

“Should we find somewhere a little more… private?” he offers, hands wandering up and down Momo’s back.

“We should never have switched rooms.”

“I was just trying to look after you…” he groans and cups his cheek. “You’re so _young_.”

“Then wait.”

Sousuke almost drops him into the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check me out dropping things to build on. Plot. I can do it. Honest. *cough*.


	11. Chapter 11

_‘Private’_ ends up being the roof space, accessed by the door that never locks right that Sousuke is strong enough to budge open. It’s chilly with just their tracksuits on, and Sousuke shrugs his jacket off to wrap it around Momo’s shoulders, met with a little awkward smile. They seat themselves on the floor at a weird distance apart. It’s suddenly awkward now that they’ve tried to _plan_ (albeit at short notice) some time together, and there’s not this easy feeling when one just reaches out for the other as if fulfilling some kind of primal _need_.

However horny and needy they both were just seems to have dissolved into the silence. All Sousuke wants is Momo’s little giggle and a burst of energy scrabbling into his lap. The sooner he can get an hour alone with Nanase, and maybe even _Rin_ would be useful, the better. He doesn’t know what to do. It must be a scary thing for Momo. But it’s even scarier to risk getting it wrong.

 

Too cold for lunch on the roof in winter, the Iwatobi team – _pack_ – now lunch in Haru and Makoto’s classroom, although Gou will often join her friend in craft club (and once persuaded Rin to get Haru to come along when they required his chiselling skills). Rei is diligent enough to stand, but today is another day where Nagisa has sat himself on Haru’s desk, legs dangling out into the aisle, and Haru’s had enough of having to hold his box up or in his lap, and makes the executive decision that his beta will become his bento-stand.

A decision he promptly regrets when Nagisa takes the appearance of food in front of him as an invitation to help himself.

“Off,” he scolds, not even having to look away from the window where he’s staring out, just _sensing_ Nagisa’s greedy intentions.

“But _Haruuu-chaaan!_ ”

“Nagisa! You have your own lunch!” Rei flails, embarrassed for the both of them.

“I ate my lunch,” Nagisa pouts.

Haru sighs. “Have some rice, then.” He won’t let Nagisa touch his mackerel, but he just can’t _stand_ to see that bottom lip wobbling.

“Spoiled,” Makoto laughs.

“Do you think there’s any Alpha penalties for pampering the pack too much?” Nagisa muses, swinging his legs around so his feet are in Haru’s lap.

Haru says nothing, but rests a hand on Nagisa’s leg, stroking little circles with his thumb while they finish lunch. He’s surprised Nagisa hasn’t just completely caved and snuggled up into his lap like he does in their evenings alone, but maybe he does have _some_ boundaries when they’re at school.

“You have an exam this afternoon, Rei?” Makoto asks, drawing attention away from Haru at last.

“Ah, yes… advanced physics,” he frowns, nervous.

“You’ll do fine,” Makoto gets up, setting a hand on his shoulder. “Do you want to go for a walk? Some fresh air before it starts?”

Haru’s surprised Rei isn’t hunched over his textbook for some last minute cramming, but Rei has it all figured out. “A brilliant idea, Makoto-senpai. I believe it will help me get into the optimum mind-set for a test. It’s a hindrance to go in stressed, you know? Last minute studying only serves to make you panic. I am relaxed.”

“Really?” Haru looks up at last, surveying him closely, looking for all the little ticks he’s got to know so well. There’s tension there, but Rei’s always a little bit strung (especially when Nagisa is liable to do something stupid), so he isn’t worried. “Good luck,” he raises his hand up to Rei to draw him in for a quick hug and a nose to his cheek.

Rei kisses Nagisa on the cheek too, and then they’re off out the door. There’s not long of the lunch period left.

“Haru-chan?” Haru squeezes Nagisa’s leg to let him know he’s listening. “What are you going to do after you graduate?”

“Tokyo, college… we’re going to look at an apartment after exams are over.”

“You and Makoto?”

“And Rin. I have to take Rin,” Haru smirks. Kisumi, thankfully is staying at home for this trip. It'll be a different story when the lot of them move though.

“You would,” Nagisa smirks. “But what about… us?”

Haru frowns. “You finish school. You run the swim team. You win at nationals.”

“It’ll be weird without you here… will we still be a pack?”

“A true pack can be a world apart,” Haru quotes. They’ve all read the little pamphlets that float around the school. It’s probably why Rei is so calm with everything, but Nagisa… he’s always been a little more insecure.

Haru has every intention of making full use of his student railcard to travel back and forth to check on his Betas, but he’s struggling to put it into words. Nagisa should _know_ he’s welcome to call whenever he needs or just wants to. It’s probably the exam stress wringing all his emotions out to dry. He gets up, Nagisa’s legs dangling from the desk now, and leans towards him so his nose can tuck into his blond curls. He smells more and more like home.

He doesn’t have any more words of encouragement, all he can do is hold him and hope Nagisa doesn’t get embarrassed by such public displays of affection. Haru knows he’s being watched, observed, _judged_. He’s had enough talks from the staff about what an _example_ he is for the other students, and it’s becoming harder and harder for him to avoid curious questions from other packs just starting up. How’s he supposed to give advice when he has no idea what he’s doing himself? On top of all this important, adult stuff, he still has a bigger concern to deal with.

Just what made Kisumi come to him to cry?

He has a gargantuan essay he still hasn’t started, but with no swim practice tonight, Haru makes the executive decision to go over to Samezuka _anyway_ so he can see Rin. They can talk, clear his head, come up with a plan of action… hopefully avoid whatever Sousuke wanted him for while they’re at it.

When did he end up with so many responsibilities?

He just wants to cuddle his Rin, but finding him isn’t as easy as expected. The smell coming from Rin and Sousuke’s room is distinctly _Sousuke_ , and he doubts Rin is in there. Maybe that little backstroke Omega, though… Haru waits for the wash of worry to drown him. Where is Rin? But it doesn’t come. Maybe that says something about his closeness to Rin or his instinctive knowledge that he’s _fine_ , wherever he is. This must be how Alphas can cope with leaving their packs behind, being separated for longer than expected. This little beat of comfort in his belly, yet he feels guilty for _not_ being so worried.

It utterly ruins his plans for a surprise visit to have to call him.

“What’s up, Haru?” Rin answers almost immediately, little smile in his voice as he pretends not to be completely overjoyed by Haru’s call.

“Just wondering where you are,” Haru keeps his voice neutral. There’s the sound of people in the bathroom, but nothing like the sound of when Rin leaves the room for a private call. He’s having a good time.

“I’m in Tom’s room, you remember? Did someone try to sneak up on me?” Rin giggles.

“Shut up. I just wanted some time with my boyfriend. Or do I need to book Mr. Popular in advance these days?”

“Nah, I’ll always make time for you. It’s in my contract, right?”

Haru rounds the corner for Tom’s room as Rin is opening up the door and hangs up without a goodbye. He quicks his steps, Rin watching him from the doorway, and drags him into a hug as soon as he can, lifting his feet off the ground with the force.

“Did you miss me? You were here _yesterday_. So needy,” Rin doesn’t really mean it, he’s just teasing to make Haru groan into his neck.

“Been a weird week,” he explains. “Needed to see you… you can go back to your friends, I won’t get in the way.”

“Uh huh. It’s just Omegas… we’re just talking about stuff.”

Haru nods and gets dragged inside being pushed into the space on the bottom bunk between two boys he doesn’t know, and Rin sits on his knee. Haru manages to exchange a smile with Tom over Rin’s shoulder, but then just nuzzles into him, blocking out the chatter, barely able to tune into Rin’s voice, and everyone else is just unnecessary.

“We’re going to my house for the first week of break,” Rin explains, catching Haru’s attention enough to lift his chin up, “and then probably spend the rest at Haru’s with the rest of our pack. Right?”

“Mm,” Haru manages, squeezing.

“And then we’re viewing our apartment in Tokyo the weekend after we’re back!”

“Don’t say it like we’ve already got it,” Haru scolds.

“What are you going to do in Tokyo, Rin? Are you taking classes?”

Rin shakes his head. “No… but I looked at a few volunteer groups based in the city for Omegas. Equality and all that. Maybe some swim stuff. Start an Omega team!”

Haru says nothing, just squeezes him again. He rests the side of his head against Rin’s back and tries to fully relax. He doesn’t even need Rin’s attention to help him calm down and think, just holding him is enough. It’s only when they get a call to the room from reception that their pizzas are here does Haru realise he’s crashing this little Omega night in.

“Sorry,” he whispers, when Tom has gone to get pizza and the other three boys occupy themselves with scrolling their phones during the silence.

Rin shrugs. “I’d have taken you back to my room but Sou and Momo… I don’t want to disturb, and Ai is studying really hard.”

“Sousuke came to see me the other night… we didn’t get chance to talk.”

“Really?” Rin turns in his lap and waggles his eyebrows. “What were you doing instead?”

“Shut up. He ran into Kisumi on his way over… and he was pretty upset. He stayed the night.”

“Why didn’t he go to Makoto’s? Have you told Makoto?”

“I don’t know if I should. He didn’t say anything other than his parents bothering him over exams and college. And he mentioned Makoto. So I don’t know if that’s still to do with his parents or something else.”

“Talk to Makoto,” Rin kisses his cheek, but Haru shakes his head. “Fine. _I’ll_ talk to Makoto. And Sousuke, while I’m at it, but –” he raises his voice, including the rest of the room “– I think _everyone_ can guess what he might want to talk about.”

The others laugh, and the one on their left pipes up. “Couldn’t have anything to do with a certain first year who’s skipping out on pizza tonight, could it?”

“Ah, the kid who tried to tell us he was _studying?_ ”

“Studying what? Biology, _anatomy?!_ ”

There’s a chorus of laughter and Haru just sighs. _Why him?!_

They eat quietly, Haru and Rin migrating to the floor of the room in a heap for more space. Rin doesn’t seem at all bothered about having to share his dinner with his unexpected guest. There’s plenty of garlic bread to go round, anyway. But garlic kisses aren’t the goodbye Haru was after, and all Rin can do is laugh at him.

“I love you,” he tells him, locked into a hug at the gate of the school. “I’ll talk to Sousuke tonight, alright? And we can tag team Makoto together if you want. Don’t be so stressed. It’s nearly Christmas!”

 

Keeping Momo focused on his textbook is harder, pardon the pun, than Sousuke ever anticipated. All Momo’s interested in is adjusting himself just _so_ against Sousuke, wriggling around to find his preferred cuddle position for the ninth time tonight. And Sou, smitten and melting into this boy’s arms as he is, has absolutely no power left to fight back with. Alphas are supposed to be dominating? Puh- _lease_. His mother sets a scary example, an example that Sousuke couldn’t live up to if he tried. Momo’s definitely the one in control here.

But they’re both bored and restless and the little fort of cushions they’ve got on the floor just isn’t as comfortable as they’ve been pretending it is.

“Can we quit for the night? I’m not learning anything…” Momo whines, burying his face into Sousuke’s chest.

He’s not even bothering to be subtle with his need for Sousuke’s affection at this point, and nor is Sousuke keeping much of a clamp on his want to go _slowly_.

“Alright. Guess we ran out of room in your head already,” he teases, brushing his lips just slightly against his hair. “Anything you want to talk about?”

Momo shakes his head lazily, but that’s good. Sousuke has a certain topic he’s been meaning to bring up.

“Have you decided what you’re doing for winter break yet? I know you said you were staying here but… what about your parents. You’ve not had any time away from school since _summer_ , Momo.”

“I just… don’t want to.”

Sousuke doesn’t believe him. Something boils inside of him, a rage he’s never known before, and his arms clamp down around Momo. Maybe it was the sad tone of his voice, maybe this is how an Alpha knows he’s been lied to, Sousuke doesn’t know. He doesn’t like it one bit.

“Is something the matter at home?” it’s the only logical conclusion, and he’s not beating around the bush.

“It’s fine.”

It’s not. He’s lying. Sousuke’s getting mad, something Momo can sense with how he tries to pull away and escape.

“Talk to me,” he demands, full of infliction, so much that Momo bows his head and curls his knees up.

“It’s… I can’t…”

“Momo.”

Momo sniffles, a lone tear trickling down his face, his whole body shaking. Sousuke realises he’s pushed him too much.

“I’m sorry,” he loosens his hold, but Momo’s even more desperate for a hug now. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong… and it’s obviously something big.”

It takes a minute of Momo getting control of his breathing, Sousuke becoming more and more confident he can rub his back and kiss his head and calm him down, and his voice only comes out as a whisper.

“My family’s traditional… and I’m the only Omega since my grandma… There are always arranged marriages for Alphas, but my brother and my cousin got to choose. I won’t get to choose.”

Sousuke’s world suddenly stops.

 _No_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry writing is taking me quite a while these days.  
> If you follow me on tumblr you might have seen some of my mental collapse these last few weeks.  
> But it's ok.  
> I'm just tired.  
> I appreciate all comments and I promise I read them, they mean so much, but I'm having a hard time replying at the moment.


	12. Chapter 12

Rin takes cover under a blanket with his Sakura shark, hunched into the back corner of the bed. He’s trying to be the supportive friend, talk Sousuke through it, even just _listen_.

But listening to the mantra of “ _mine mine **mine”**_ is getting out of hand.

Sousuke continues to pace the room, his hands fisted so tight his knuckles are white. Rin’s never seen him so angry. He’s not scared of taking the brunt of the Alpha’s rage, it’s not that kind of anger. He’s more scared for Sousuke himself.

“Sou?” he tries, voice low and gentle, inviting him down onto the bunk. “Can you calm down a bit?”

Sousuke breaks his step, turning to stare at Rin, as if comprehending a concept entirely alien. Finally something clears from his eyes and he sits down, barely within arm’s reach for Rin to pat him on the shoulder.

“There. Now what are you going to do about Momo?”

Sousuke leans over his own knees. “I can’t do _anything, can I?!_ ”

“That’s probably a little bit dramatic,” Rin frowns. “It’s been a week. He’s not even been showing up at practice. Break starts on _Friday_ and who knows what’ll happen.”

Sousuke’s eyes are dead, his face pale and expressionless. Lost.

Rin sighs. “He wanted me to swim with him tonight. Maybe you should go in my place.”

Sousuke still stays silent, but has vanished when Rin comes out of the bathroom a little later, along with his swim bag. Rin settles in for an evening of waiting up to deal with Sousuke’s gushing when he gets back. Nodding and smiling because he loves him, but dammit he wishes him and Momo would just get this thing _sorted_. It’s so painfully obvious from the outside. And even more painful to suffer through Momo’s little squeaks and moans when he sneaks up to Sousuke’s bed, an absolute horror to have to share a bathroom with Sousuke the morning after, just _knowing_ he’ll have spent his entire shower whacking himself off.

But… he appreciates how slowly Sousuke’s trying to take things, how considerate he is of Momo’s well-being. But maybe he’s hit the point of being _too_ considerate? Rin’s known him long enough to know Sousuke’s barely even _looked_ at another Omega. He’s just not been _interested_. But Momo? Even _before_ he presented as Omega, Sousuke guarded his little first year roommate like a watchdog. He spent the first two weeks guiding him to every class which… didn’t exactly go as planned, but Momo’s smiles made everything worth it. Bonding together is the only obvious progression for these two, and Rin really doesn’t want to know what kind of state _either_ of them would get into without them at least coming to some sort of conclusion for their future.

 

Sousuke can hear a single shower running in the locker room when he gets down, probably a little late based on the other times this week that Rin’s headed off to train privately with Momo, always leaving with this long, stern look like it’s _all Sousuke’s fault_. Which it is. He dumps his bag on the bench across from where he sees Momo’s bright orange one, and changes quickly into his legskin to go and rinse off before getting in the pool. Momo’s so feisty, but he’s become so mellow and… dare Sousuke say _nervous?_ these last few months that Sousuke’s not even surprise Momo’s following the rules and not getting in the pool without a buddy. A part of him _wants_ to go and tell off the cheeky kid, and then maybe grab him around the waist and tickle him till he apologises.

But instead he finds him standing under the shower farthest from the door, tucked into the corner with the privacy curtain wide open. He’s in his little speedos, facing the wall with his head down, and doesn’t even lift up when he becomes aware of someone else in the room.

“Rin, how do you know when you’re going into heat? Is this why Sousuke’s avoiding me?”

Sousuke’s gut wrenches, and he takes a step forwards, fighting so hard not to just reach out and _hold_ him.

“I had another call with my dad last night… pestering me about coming home for break. I’m starting to think I just should. They’ll at least let me graduate before pairing me off, right? It seems easier than this waiting.”

Sousuke feels like he’s eavesdropping on a conversation that was never meant for his ears… the things Momo tells Rin – the things Rin _doesn’t_ repeat to Sousuke. This little Omega world he just Does Not belong in. Like Rin looking out for his friend Tom, helping Momo out with his first heat, how the Omega swimmers all band together in this epitome of unity, all trying to keep each other safe. All quietly scared.

“I’m here,” Sousuke croaks out. Not the greeting he would have liked, but he just can’t let Momo say anything else he wouldn’t want Sousuke to hear, can’t let him break this Omega code. “It’s me, Momo. Bug.”

Momo’s head snaps up immediately, a little smile creaking into his voice when he speaks. “Oh.”

“You’re not in heat. I’m sorry.”

Sousuke’s so _bad_ with words when it’s important. He needs Momo to turn around so he can see his face, hug him, pick him up and kiss him, _anything_ and everything other than this closed off world with his back to him There’s something from one of those little leaflets from the sex-ed lessons nagging at him _not_ to grab him from behind when he’s cornered, but that’s getting easier and easier to turn off.

“What do you think, then?” Momo’s voice drops, cold and afraid.

“I think I don’t want to do this here.”

“Swim with me, then.”

He’s spent too much time with Rin, getting just as demanding, but Sousuke smirks. He doesn’t mind at all. Especially not when those bright eyes turn on him at last.

Sousuke spins under the shower as quickly as possible, all the while being watched and for some reason unable to force himself to fully look Momo in the eye, keeping himself subtly turned or his head tilted the wrong way. He doesn’t want Momo to think he’s avoiding his gaze for anything _negative_ , but there’s no way he can explain this flutter in his chest in a way that won’t dig them deeper into this mess. They’re just not ready for the only word he has to describe it.

His boy wants his pool. Momo scuttles ahead of him and plops himself into the water before Sousuke’s even had chance to put their towels and drinks on the side. He’s grabbed Momo’s just on instinct. Not even _trying_ to play the courteous Alpha. It just feels right.

“You’re slow,” Momo whines from halfway across the pool, floating on his back like a little otter.

Sousuke sighs, dramatic and sarcastic, easing himself into the pool and setting off in a slow crawl to catch him up, trying not to splash too much. It’s too peaceful. Too quiet between them.

“Can’t get away from me that easily,” he puts his hands on his feet. Not holding. Just touching. At _last_.

Momo looks concerned, but not for his safety. More like he’s worried Sou’s gonna start tickling at his feet. It’s a tempting idea, but rubbing his smooth shins is more so. He’s littered in little cuts where he’s slipped with the razor. Sousuke has every intention of introducing him to the joys of hair removal cream as quickly as possible. Shaving that adorable face will be one hell of an adventure when the time comes.

“Here?” Momo asks.

“Hmm?” Sousuke’s distracted. Lost in the touch.

“Can we talk _here_ ,” Momo pushes. His voice wavers between snapping and cracking and _both_ those options are like a kick in the gut to Sousuke.

He nods. Momo stays silent, waiting, waiting for Sousuke to take the lead, take control like he’s supposed to. He’s the _Alpha_. He clicks his tongue and hums in thought, filling the silence so Momo doesn’t get worried he’s not going to say anything.

He has to be careful. Find the line between announcing what _he_ wants while still allowing Momo a _choice_ in all of this, which has always been his biggest concern.

“Do you want to see your parents?” he starts.

Momo hums an affirmative. He’s so young, he’s obviously missed them. Still needs that parental support.

“But you’re scared,” he confirms. “What if I… came with you?”

Momo snorts and splutters on the water, bringing himself to a stand. “They wouldn’t allow that.”

It’s so certain that Sousuke doesn’t even need to ask to clarify if that means as _just a friend_ or as his Alpha. It’s clear Momo’s parents won’t accept anyone they don’t choose themselves.

“Will they disown you? If they don’t get to arrange your bonding?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“You’re so _young_. This is so unfair…” Sousuke cups Momo’s cheek, runs his hand down to hold firm to his shoulder. “I don’t know what the right thing to do is,” he admits.

“Can I tell you what my problem is? With this?” Momo asks. Sousuke hurries to nod. “We can’t talk properly because we’re so scared of hurting each other.”

And so they can’t get to grips with what the other is feeling. They’re both assuming so much, just guess work, inserting morals and motivations and emotions where there might not be any. Getting things wrong. Sousuke makes a stand.

“Let’s just swim, for now. I’ve missed you. And… we’ll kick Rin out for the night, yeah? Just you and me. You always come for cuddles after calls with your parents, right?”

Momo smirks. “Well done for working that one out.”

He gets into Coach-Mode, shutting down his affectionate side and working Momo through the drills he’s been missing out on. He sits on the side with his stop watch, mentally noting how much his times can vary depending on the last thing that’s been said. Momo’s like a little rocket after a good laugh. He holds out the stopwatch for Momo to see.

“That’s your best in like a month,” he explains.

“Keeping tabs?”

“Maybe. End on a high note?” Momo nods. “Just dry off… we can shower properly before bed, alright?”

Sousuke mostly just doesn’t want to be naked and alone in the showers with Momo, but the Omega nods along like it’s not a pathetic excuse. Pacifying. He sees Rin do this a lot with Haru. A certain level of loyalty. He texts Rin on their walk up to the dorms, asking him to vacate. Rin responds saying that he’s switched the beds too, he’ll sleep with Ai for the rest of the week if necessary. Sousuke’s glad. If all goes to plan tonight he doesn’t intend for Momo to leave his side until next _year_. He fits his arm around Momo’s shoulders in the chilly outside pass between buildings. There’s tension there, mingling with this hopeful anticipation he dares not dwell on.

“Get ready for bed,” he instructs, gently, popping a daring kiss on the top of Momo’s head and sending him off to the bathroom.

He sets up the TV to face the bed more easily than balancing a laptop and gets the DVD he found ready to play. Attenborough, stag beetles and some kisses to his neck should make for a happy Momo tonight.

“I don’t have jammies,” Momo says from behind the door, shower just wheezing to a finish.

“I’ll get you some. Come out.” He hands over one of his own shirts, drowning Momo in a way he can’t stop staring at. Little flashes of muscle and bone under the fabric as he moves. It fits so badly but it’s so _perfect_ for his quick movements. “And _these_ ended up in my hamper anyway,” he teases, pulling a pair of undies over Momo’s head.

“Well I guess yours would just fall down. Big butt.”

“You better behave. I have a surprise for later.”

Momo’s eyes light up and Sousuke has to grab his sleep pants and lock himself in the bathroom before he leans any closer. They’re both acting so _normal_ but it’s absolutely _not_. They’re both waiting for this _talk_ , what will essentially be deciding the rest of their lives. Sousuke takes his time drying off and pulling his pants on. The silence on the other side of the door is so telling.

“Hey.”

Momo blinks up at him from where he’s all wrapped up in the quilt on the bed. The pressure’s getting to him, and he reaches out to hold Sousuke’s hand and pull him down. Maybe it says something, this need to _touch_ each other all the time to find their comfort, ground each other.

“So… talking. Let’s… where do we even start?”

“You’re the boss,” Momo shrugs.

“I… alright… I just… don’t want to hurt you. And I won’t deny that I want _you,_ _this, us_ , but…”

“I want this.”

“You’re so young,” Sousuke continues, squeezing his hand to shut him up while he’s on a roll, “I don’t want you to feel like it’s your only option… just because of your family. I’d take care of you if you wanted to leave them even without anything… more.”

Momo jumps in as Sousuke pauses for breath. “Don’t do it just because you pity me. That’s what I’m scared of.”

“Momo… Momo I wouldn’t… I don’t… Really? That’s what’s bothered you?”

“I thought it was just the Omega thing making you all… nice and stuff, because your brain says you have to,” he shrugs.

“But I love you. I want –”

Momo’s suddenly on him, straddled over his lap in the split second of Sousuke closing his eyes to think. There are tears brimming, little wet droplets rolling down his cheeks that Sousuke wipes with his thumb.

“I love you,” he repeats. “And I’m not letting anyone take you away.”

 

Kisumi slots his nose against Makoto’s, rubbing and purring, pressing their lips together in a kiss.

“You’re being very cute,” Makoto says against him, hand in his hair. “Anything you need?”

He needs to finish this god awful chapter in his textbook, actually, but cuddling up to Makoto on Haru’s living room floor is probably not the best place to be productive.

“I need a sick bucket,” Haru grunts across from them, hiding himself behind his own notes.

Haru and Makoto have one last exam tomorrow, and Kisumi’s final is a make-up test on Friday. And then _freedom_. Haru’s phone beeps somewhere under the mountain of papers on the table, but they all know it’ll just be more teasing from Rin because he’s _finished_ all his exams.

Makoto ignores Haru, sending him this little smirk over Kisumi’s shoulder, and kisses his boyfriend on the cheek. “I’ll get us all top-ups anyway, hmm?” he offers.

There are nods all around, so Makoto prises himself up to gather the drinks tray and head to the kitchen, leaving Kisumi to moan and drop his head onto his page. He can feel Haru looking at him. He’s been doing this a lot lately. This hard stare of irritation and worry. Ever since his night of weakness.

“I’ve not told him. About last week,” Haru drops into a whisper. “But you should.”

“It’s not important,” Kisumi hisses back.

Haru’s glare says everything. Frustration, care, this need to protect. Kisumi’s feeling bitter enough that his mind jumps to the conclusion that Haru doesn’t _really_ care, wouldn’t if it wasn’t for this Alpha thing, and refuses to meet his eye.

“Back,” Makoto announces, handing out water bottles instead of refilling the teapot. “Come here, you.” He sits down and drags Kisumi into his lap, popping a kiss on his head. “You look so frustrated with something…?”

His eyes ask the question, masked in his concern. “I’m fine,” he whispers. Haru sighs.

“Kisumi. You’re coming here over break, kay? All of us. Whole pack.”

“Haru…” Makoto grins, hugging Kisumi tighter. “Thank you for inviting us.”

Makoto was probably definitely invited anyway, and Haru’s just putting the cursory out there for Kisumi. He smiles, polite, but hides in Makoto’s neck.

“Stay over tonight, if you want,” Haru continues, but Makoto shakes his head.

“I promised the twins I’d do their bedtime story, sorry.”

“Can I stay?” Kisumi asks, too quickly, not thinking. _Dammit_.

Haru blinks. A pause stretches out, Makoto stroking his arm in worry. “Sure,” Haru finally says.

Kisumi doesn’t miss the look Haru and Makoto exchange over his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE PLEASE if you enjoy this fic and my other works, especially Starpool, can I ask you to look at this post, signal boost, report, whatever you want to, because someone has stolen my work and reposted it as their own and I am MAD http://daxii.tumblr.com/post/131805186208/what-are-you-doing-with-my-fic


	13. Chapter 13

Kisumi accepts the overnight bag Makoto runs down to his house to fetch for him with a forced smile, and tries to immediately hide his face in Makoto’s neck for a hug, but Makoto isn’t having it. He cups his face, observing the worry behind his eyes, and finally sighs and kisses his nose and lips.

 

“Whatever it is, you know I’m here,” he tells him, yet he doesn’t find himself resenting Kisumi’s need for privacy. He’s worried, sure, but he trusts him so wholly that he doesn’t feel the need to push it.

 

Haru steps forwards to say goodnight, and Kisumi steps back to let Haru in. Makoto doesn’t try to lower his voice for Kisumi’s sake, pulling Haru into a hug.

 

“Look after my boy. I’ll be checking,” he teases.

 

Haru rolls his eyes, giving Makoto’s nose a rub. “He doesn’t give me a choice. How do you cope?”

 

“Hmmm, ‘cause I love him?”

 

Haru understands – he has Rin.

 

“See you in the morning, then! Are you…?” he looks at Kisumi, silently asking. Kisumi doesn’t have to go to school until his last exam, but will he go home?

 

“We’ll see,” he dismisses. “Love you too.”

 

Makoto leaves with a wave and Haru and Kisumi go back to the lounge.

 

“Some toast?” Haru offers, keeping an eye on Kisumi’s expression. He can’t read him as well as Makoto and doesn’t want to miss out on any little ticks. “And then bed. I’m tried.”

 

“Anything you say, Mr. Alpha.”

 

They have a buttered slice each in silence. It’s not uncomfortable, but Kisumi’s avoiding eye contact. The trip upstairs is easy, like routine, Haru behind turning the lights out and shutting the door, no different than with Rin or Nagisa or Makoto. And neither is this –

 

“I assume you’re in with me?” Haru rolls his eyes, playing on the sarcasm that litters most of his interactions with Kisumi, and Kisumi's thankfully playing along.

 

"Well I wouldn't _miiiind_ taking the futon, but if you _insist_."

 

Kisumi knows the rules, tactfully getting in on Haru's side of the bed so he doesn't taint Rin's.

 

"You know," Haru starts, rubbing a hand up and down Kisumi's arm, "you can tell us anything. Would you prefer Rin?"

 

"I don't want to talk about it. You guys are my escape. It's complicated."

 

"You should at least tell Makoto."

 

"I don't want him getting upset."

 

"Tell _me_ then. We're all worried. It's your family, right? You're in such a big pack..."

 

"Yup. One Alpha male with a harem of Omegas."

 

Kisumi has his eyes closed, still avoiding eye-contact, but Haru's little questions are at least making progress.

 

"Strict?"

 

"Very. Exams have been a nightmare, and they don't like our college."

 

"How to they feel about our pack? About Makoto?"

 

"Can I just say they don't agree with it and leave it at that? We move in a few months, I won't have to deal with them."

 

Haru says nothing for a few minutes, letting them get into position to sleep. He brushes Kisumi's nose with his thumb. "And what about you and Makoto?"

 

"Fine."

 

There's something about his tone that makes Haru not believe him. Something too sharp, too quick, too nervous.

 

"You should tell him, if you need anything. He's still flying blind."

 

Kisumi shorts a little laugh. "I know. He's so cute."

 

Haru hugs him, just lightly draping an arm over him so he'll know if Kisumi's making an early break for it in the morning. It's not as awkward as he expects. He has all these pack members, and they all fit into their place like a giant jigsaw, each connected just a little bit. He's never _been_ so okay with all this _touch_ , but now he craves it, needs it, needs to _feel_ his family.

 

"It's just..." Kisumi starts again, rousing Haru from a half-sleep. "Never mind."

 

Haru squeezes him.

 

 

 

"Sousuke!" Rin knocks on the door to his dorm room. "Can I come in?"

 

"I guess," he hears Sousuke sigh, a little giggle that no doubt belongs to Momo.

 

He's surprised how innocent the scene before him is, Momo cross-legged on the bed with a pillow in his arms, presumably watching whatever's on TV, and Sousuke cleaning up. So domestic.

 

"I've just been talking to my mum, she says if you just wanted a flying visit with your parents you can spend the night at ours."

 

Sousuke looks at Momo, as if seeking permission, and Momo gives this small nod. "Maybe we can hit the Christmas markets too. Now that I have someone to buy for," Sousuke winks. Momo suddenly seems much more okay with losing Sousuke for the day.

 

"Did you decide what you were doing?" Rin drops his voice and sits next to his young friend.

 

"He's staying here," Sousuke answers on Momo's behalf, not even looking up from the pile of laundry he's sorting.

 

Momo nods along. "I can always see my parents in Spring."

 

There's an underlying message in the way his voice trails off. He can see his parents _if they even want to_. Rin throws a questioning glance at Sousuke, but Sousuke's looking right at Momo, full of nothing but concern and _love_ for his partner. He's trying so hard to act like everything is _normal_ , doing his best to take all the burden so his boy doesn't have to, but there's only so much he can do.

 

"I'd say you could stay too, but we'll already be a bit tight on space," Rin soothes. "Do you need to talk about anything before I go?"

 

"Um... I guess I can just google it."

 

"I might," Sousuke pipes up, a light blush ghosting his cheeks.

 

"I wasn't asking you!"

 

"Well maybe you should, Mr. Experience!"

 

"Nope. No way. You can talk to Haru when you stay over. I'm not going there with you," he quickly turns his attention back to Momo. "And you don't need anything for heat over the break?"

 

"I've only had the one, so I'm still stocked up, but I was wondering..." Momo looks at Sousuke, sporting his own blush now.

 

"Want me to step out?" Sousuke asks, getting up and reaching out a hand.

 

"No, just..."

 

"Whatever it is, Momo, don't be embarrassed. It's alright to have questions."

 

Momo wavers a moment, taking Sousuke's hand but looking up at the slats of the bed to avoid both him and Rin."Should I not try suppressants?"

 

"They can interfere with swimming. Weight gain, fatigue. More mood swings on top of that. Depends how seriously you want to compete. You still have two years here, and you don't know what you want to do afterwards," Rin expertly quotes from his encyclopedic knowledge. "And you should let your body grow into it more yet."

 

"And I don't need..." Momo drops into a whisper, "birth control?"

 

Sousuke splutters and tuns away, running his hands down Momo's legs in exasperated affection. "No. You'll be fine."

 

"I know it's been in the news a lot lately, but guys really do need meds to get pregnant. The accidents are so rare, that's why they're always reported. And there are always symptoms if you're more susceptible to it. You'd be more regular, for one."

 

"And we're not there yet anyway."

 

Momo rubs his face into the pillow in his arms, hiding his blush. Rin's doesn't know how far they've actually gone, but Momo hasn't been marked despite their new connection these last few days. He doesn't even know if they've _kissed_. Sousuke strokes Momo's feet so delicately, so gently, like he's still so afraid of hurting him. But it's so clear just how confident and comfortable they are with each other.

 

Rin packs up for a week at home, noticing his absolute lack of casual clothing since most of it now lives at Haru's, and has to text him to put a pair of jeans a an extra few shirts in his own bag for when they meet up. He's both excited _and_ terrified. Maybe it's just him, but he wants to make their first holiday together _special_ , not just for them as a couple, but their whole pack. He saw Sousuke throw some clean underwear and pjs into a backpack before he and Momo went off somewhere (a date...?) to let Rin have the room to himself to pack. He's sure to get out of there before they can return. It's nice to room with Ai again, even just for a few days, wrapping up in blankets and having a cosy night with movies and popcorn.

 

 

 

Sousuke reaches for Momo's hand when they're off campus, lacing their fingers together. It's a new experience, being so _public_ , but it doesn't feel weird. Rin describes this outburst of _power_ when Haru takes him out, but Sousuke's just not feeling it. Maybe because they're un-mated, maybe because he's not as dominant, maybe just doesn't need to because he's built so big, and Haru's so feisty to make up for his smaller stature.

 

Momo's grinning, giggling, totally buzzing. Sousuke half expects him to start skipping and swinging off his hand he's so excited. A part of him wants to put on this mask of annoyance - a certain brand of intolerance drilled into him by his strict upbringing, but Momo is just so _happy_ and adorable. How could anyone deny their Omega when they react like _this?!_  


 

They have amazake and hot street food, ambling their way to a bench near the pier. It's just nice to get out of campus for a bit, have more air to breathe and more reason to cuddle in the cold night.

 

"I'll take you somewhere proper eventually," Sousuke promises, hugging Momo tight with the arm around his shoulders.

 

"This is good. I'm gonna miss you tomorrow night."

 

"Mm, I've already spoiled you. I've not even scented you yet."

 

"Before you go?"

 

"We'll see. Do you want to start heading back? Curfew is creeping up on us."

 

"But I have my Alpha's permission!"

 

"I don't think that works when your Alpha has curfew too. Come on. I'm sure we'll find _something_ to entertain ourselves with."

 

Sousuke gets up, offering his hand and bringing Momo's knuckles to his lips to kiss. Momo holds tight, dragging their hands up to his mouth to kiss Sousuke right back. Sousuke lets go, moving his hand to Momo's cheek.

 

"Look at you. Have I told you you're beautiful?"

 

"So _uuusuke_ ," Momo whines.

 

"Well, you are. And you're all mine."

 

He tugs him a little closer, sets his other hand on his waist, barely able to feel his form beneath his heavy winter coat. Momo looks up at him, expectant and wanting. Sousuke can see it all over his face that he knows exactly what's coming. Sousuke would tease, but he's been planning this moment for weeks now. His first taste of Momo's kisses, something he hasn't dared to take. And Momo's so _excited_ , ready for it. He could tease him, but he won't.

 

Momo's mouth moves as if he expects Sousuke's to be still, pushing for more contact immediately, and all Sousuke can do is laugh.

 

"Relax. We'll have plenty of time for more."

 

Momo pouts.

 

 

Haru meets Rin and Sousuke at the gates, Momo still wrapped up in Sousuke's arms until the very last moment, and the two couples kiss in sync - one in greeting and one in goodbye.

 

"Be good, alright? I'll be back tomorrow evening," Sousuke gently separates Momo from his front.

 

"With presents."

 

"With presents that you can't open yet," Sousuke kisses him again, kisses his nose, smells the mingling scent on his glands where he's been compulsively rubbing his own.

 

"They're gross," he hears Rin whisper to Haru, teasing and full of endearment. Sousuke fights his blush, but Momo's whining.

 

" _You're_ gross," he counters, face red and voice cracking, but Rin is laughing, hanging off Haru with his arm around his neck, and Haru only sighs.

 

But there's no time to argue over who's the more ridiculous romantic. They have a bus to catch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler chapter I am sorry. But I've been looking forward to writing their Christmas for forever.   
> Does anyone else remember when this was just a hot RinHaru oneshot?? No?? Me either idk what happened. 
> 
> Also I'm doing an entirely SouMomo fic for nanowrimo! I'm posting it right next to this in the feed, titled Carapace. It has similar themes to the SouMomo in this, with cop Sousuke becoming worried over his regular pizza boy when it becomes clear he's getting into some trouble.


	14. Chapter 14

The Matsuoka home is fairly small and kind of topsy-turvy, but with their mother's decorating and constant cooking, the place has so much character. Rin gets Haru and Sousuke inside and everyone takes off their shoes, and bags are left at the bottom of the stairs. The kitchen and bathroom are on this ground floor, with the bedrooms upstairs and the main living space down in the cellar.

"Boys!" he hears his mums familiar voice from down the hall, and before he's even turned around, she's gathered him and Sousuke into a hug. "It's so good to see you both. Look how you've grown, Sou-kun!"

"Mum!" Rin whines, but hug her tighter all the same. He feels Haru tugging at the back of his jacket, and loosens one arm to reach back to hold his hand. He's cute when he's jealous. "Come on, don't forget this idiot."

He tugs Haru forwards and Sousuke deftly sidesteps out of the embrace.

"Of course not! Especially with him doing such a good job taking care of my Rin-Rin!"

" _Mum!_ "

"Ahaha, I'm so sorry, honey. I don't mean to tease. It's just... look at all of you, you're all so grown up. Now, go and get yourselves comfortable. We have so much catching up to do."

Gou is already in the lounge watching TV. Rin goes to give her a hug, but she seems much more excited to see Sousuke than anyone else. He has to fight his way past to get a squeeze of his sister first and... let’s just say he hadn’t quite realised she was good enough friends with Haru and Sou to be exchanging kisses on the cheek with her. Oh the things he misses, barely being allowed outside of his dorm.

"Mm, you smell nice, Rin," she says quietly, though the amused snort from his left side means Sousuke heard anyway.

He blushes and mutters a thanks, turning to find Haru who's seated himself in the recliner. Rin sighs.

"Scoot up," he demands.

Haru rolls his eyes and shifts to give Rin maybe six inches of room to squeeze his ass down next to him, and he ends up with his legs in Haru's lap to sit sideways for a better fit. Haru sets his hands on him, one on his back and one on his thigh, and it's that perfect weight of protection that just makes Rin melt and lean his head down to Haru's.

"You all right?" Haru asks.

Rin kisses his cheek. "'m fine. You're cute."

"You're cute, Rin-Rin," Haru whispers, throwing out the nickname. Well isn’t _that_ just gonna be a thing now.

Rin feels himself blushing in embarrassment at the same time as Haru is cupping his cheek to snuggle them closer together, a little peck exchanged on the lips and noses slotted together.

"Do you think they know how ridiculous they are?" Sousuke asks to Gou. Rin sees him sit down next to her and offer out an arm.

"Oh please. I hear some pretty similar stories about you and Kintarou -"

"Momotarou. His name is Momotarou. Momo. And... hey! Where did you hear that from?" Sousuke interrupts and then trails off into a mutter.

"I have my sources," Gou smirks (and Haru shows that he is not a subtle winker). "So tell me, how long has this been going on?"

Rin tunes in to listen, Haru lazily licking at his neck and zoning out.

"We've only gotten serious recently, and it's still early days. So no juicy gossip for you."

Rin snorts. "I'll fill you in later, Gou!"

Haru chastises him with a light squeeze, but Rin doesn't feel that wave of Alpha authority. In fact, Haru's pretty relaxed, with Rin all curled up in his lap in the cozy lounge. Rin hooks his arms around Haru's neck for even more of a hug, and feels that warmth fully seep into him. He misses him so much when they're apart.

 

Makoto’s looking forward to his weekend with Kisumi. All alone. He’s picked up a mattress in the sales to use on Haru’s parents frame in their old room. It’s a space for him and Kisi, and Nagisa and Rei. It’s much better than cramming in together or sprawling futons all over the house. He’s spent the morning setting up the bed with new, freshly washed sheets. Mum’s helped him get some groceries to keep them going over the next couple of days, and there’s a long list of instructions for the stove and the heating left by Haru. As well as a big DO NOT ENTER sign on his bedroom.

All he needs now is Kisumi. His last text said he’d be here soon but... that was an hour ago. He’s getting kinda worried.

**Makoto- >Kisumi**  
Hey? Want me to pick you up?

It takes Kisumi ten whole minutes before he even ‘sees’ the text, and even then Makoto sees the little typing dots flash on and off for way too long.

**Kisumi- >Makoto**  
If you want.

Huh. He wasn’t really expecting that. He should be just around the corner, maybe calling him and giggling at what a worrier he is. Makoto’s never even been to Kisumi’s place. He knows where it is... _everyone_ knows where it is. It’s huge. It’s like a village tacked onto the outskirts of town where the Alpha can house all his Omegas and their children he’s fathered. Kisumi doesn’t like to talk about it. It’s an archaic system that even the most traditional of families have moved away from.

He looks miserable, standing at the gates with a holdall and what must be one of his half-brothers. A little shorter, but broader than Kisumi is, maybe a couple of years older. Alpha, that’s for sure.

“Kisumi?” he hangs back, unsure.

“Hey,” he turns to his brother. “See? Can I go now?”

“I think you’re forgetting that I’m on your side.”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t really feel like it,” Kisumi grumbles.

Feeling slightly reassured this other Alpha isn’t actually planning to murder him, Makoto gets closer, coming to Kisumi’s side.

“Oh, _wow_ , much protective. Why do you look so _nervous_ , little Alpha?”

“Um...” Makoto starts.

“Satoshi!”Kisumi interrupts, yelling. “Just _stop_ , you sound _just_ like Dad!”

“What’s going on, Kisi?” Makoto asks, quietly. He can feel the weight of this other Alpha starting to crush him, trying to scare him away.

“Ohh _hhh_ , so you’ve not even _told_ him. Wow. Fine lot of faith you put in your new Alpha, isn’t it.”

“I’m not his Alpha,” Makoto stands his ground. “I’m his boyfriend.”

“Oh good. So he can stay with his pack and just see you on weekends. That confirms it, little brother, no Tokyo for you.”

“ _Satoshi!”_ Kisumi yells again, yells like he’s close to tears. He throws his arms out and grips Makoto’s wrist.

“Let’s go, Kiss. We have two weeks, remember?”

“I might not let him go yet.”

“Dad said I can go,” Kisumi whispers. His grip is shaking around Makoto’s wrist. “Come on, Makoto.”

 

Makoto hates this. Not knowing what to say or do, not even knowing if he should go all Alpha on Kisumi or just let it come out naturally. Kisumi’s been silently crying for a good ten minutes now. Makoto’s attempts to coax him in for a cuddle have stalled with him just lightly rubbing his back. At last they’re pulling into the station, with just a five minute walk home to Haru’s.

Kisumi has other plans.

“Can we go to the beach?”

“Um...” Makoto’s not going to say _no_ , it’s just that... “can we get your stuff home first? Maybe... have a little chat?”

“Is that an order?” Kisumi asks. His tone is harsh, demanding, like he’s the one giving the orders.

Makoto needs a second to word his answer. “I’d like to talk, but we don’t have to if you don’t. I won’t make you do anything, Kisumi.”

“Maybe that’s part of the problem.”

“But _what_ problem, Kisumi? That’s all I want to talk about... I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong... or what I’ve done wrong...”

“Never mind. Let’s just go.”

Where? Home? That’s the direction he’s set off in, anyway. Makoto heaves a sigh and follows, still not daring to reach for him. Not yet, anyway. He wants some privacy. He doesn’t even want to wait till they’re out of the foyer, pushing him (gently) against the wall and touching their noses together.

“Kisumi...” he whispers. His eyes are cast left, avoiding him. “Look at me, Kisumi. I love you. What do you need me to do?”

Kisumi heaves, tense, but he’s holding in his sobs for now. “I just want to be yours.”

“You are. You _are_ , Kisumi. What am I missing? Make me understand.”

They make it to the bedroom, _their_ bedroom, and Kisumi manages a cursory glance around and an appreciative face at the bed he throws himself onto.

“Hey,” Makoto joins him, tentatively, bringing his arm around him, bringing Kisumi’s head to his chest, “let’s talk. Why won’t you tell me?”

Kisumi shrugs in a way that’s way too Haru, but he can deal with it. “I don’t want you to be mad...”

“I _am_ mad, Kisumi. I’m mad at your brother and I think I should be mad at your dad and I’m even mad at you for _not_ keeping me in the loop. I know I’m not _strong_ , I know I can’t dominate you as if you’re an Omega, but I want to help.”

“Mate me, then,” Kisumi says, suddenly blank. “Claim me. Make it so they can’t doubt us anymore.”

“But I’ll _hurt you!_ ” Makoto squeezes him, threads his fingers through his hair, unable to bear the thought of tearing him apart.

Kisumi’s struggling to hold back his tears, hiding his face. “It’ll heal, I’ll get over it... maybe I’ll even like it. But I don’t like this. I can’t live with this.”

Makoto understands. He can’t related, but he can work it out. Kisumi’s family is protective of their traditional lifestyle, and they’re mad with him for wanting to break out of it. Especially with someone like Makoto... An Alpha without status, without his own pack, with nothing but his genetic test to prove he can be anything for Kisumi.

“Let me talk to Haru,” he finally says, quiet, stroking Kisumi’s back and keeping them tight together. “I don’t know what to do.”

And then he clears his throat, tries to find the right words and dig up that force from somewhere deep in his gut. “As your Alpha, I forbid you to return to your camp... at least, without me, or Haru... or Sou-kun -”

“I get it, Mako,” Kisumi’s laugh is light, amused by his efforts. But it’s clear Makoto doesn’t have the same weight as Haru, even over a Beta. Haru can make Rei and Nagisa crumble just as easily as he can Rin.

 

Meanwhile, Haru’s having his own minor crisis when he receives the text from Makoto. He’s left, stood with only Sousuke as Rin turns around one last time to wave, arm linked with his mother and Gou on her other side.

“I want to shop with my family... and I can’t get you a present while you’re _there_ , can I?” Rin had whined.

Sousuke had only made matters worse. “There’s a stall I want to check out... I wouldn’t mind some advice.”

Well, fuck.

They meander up and down the rows, occasionally wandering over to a booth when there’s something interesting. Haru finds some antique books for Rei and another penguin plushy for Nagisa’s collection. There are some cute hand knitted cardigans he gets for Makoto and Kisumi (matching, of course). Rin’s present is already sorted, though his parents have had to help a bit with it, but there’s a jewelry store with braided leather bracelets and he picks out a red and blue one for him.He’s glad he’s got his backpack so he doesn’t have to dangle all these things from his hands.

He’s not even going to comment on what he’s seen Sousuke pick out for Mikoshiba.

“Last stop,” Sousuke says, nodding towards a booth. There are curtains around the front of it, and the sign on the front makes Haru want to die. “Tell me what I need for Momo.”

“For _what_ with Momo?” Haru groans.

They step inside and he looks around at all the shelves of various masks and chains and plugs and dildos.

“What do you _think, Haru?_ ” Sousuke hisses. The lights are dimmed but his cheeks are glowing with his embarrassment.

“You’re going to mate him? Isn’t he a little young still?” Haru frowns.

“I’m putting it off as long as I can...” Sousuke says quietly, picking up a box of butt plugs that get larger and larger in size. “But his family are arranging something... I need to get there first.”

Haru nods.

“I need it to be as painless as possible for him. Do you think these will help?”

Haru nods again. There’s just something about everything shiny and red that makes him think of Rin, and he’s found himself holding a glass dildo, complete with a knot at the end. Sousuke makes a face.

“Lots of lube, I guess?” Haru suggests, uselessly, but they make it to the shelf all the same, with a thousand varieties of lube and condoms and... huh. “What about these?”

“Bands? For your... oh. Maybe? Do they work? I guess it would be nice if they did...”

“Stops him getting a basketball up his butt.” Haru picks up two packs. If Makoto’s text is anything to go by, he could do with some of these knot-stoppers too.

Paying for this stuff, especially this god damn dildo, is probably the most awkward moment of Haru’s life. He wants to be out of here, heading back to the meeting spot with all the food stalls and sharing something warm and yummy with Rin.

But then Sousuke veers off to another shop. Haru frowns. He thought the _last_ one was bad enough, but this, well, _this_...

“It’s an Oppression shop, Sousuke. I’m not getting anything from here. I don’t think your _sixteen_ year old boyfriend would appreciate it if you got a shock collar or anything of the like for him, either.”

“I was just curious. Let’s go,” Sousuke shrugs and moves away.

“Hang on,” Haru sees something in his peripheral and gets it off the stand for a closer look.

“Sleep masks? Why? Gonna leave Rin unconscious all day while you’re in class in Tokyo?”

“No,” Haru gives him a glare, offended at the very thought. “But if he gets sick, or he’s hurt... or he’s just scared and unsettled when we move... Wouldn’t you want your boy to sleep through the pain?”

Sousuke goes to protests but stops, taking a box of his own. “I guess it could help, as a last resort.”

“Do these work on Betas? If you’ve marked them before?” Haru continues reading.

The box _says_ they do, but the bond with a Beta is more psychological than anything. They don’t have glands on their necks to hold scent, and even mating them needs to be done on a regular basis to keep the chemical change strong enough. He can’t imagine ever needing it for Nagisa and Rei... he doesn’t even want to think about having sex with either of them, but for Makoto... he gets another box.

Sousuke hesitates before they go to pay. “When you’ve... have you...” he’s blushing again, feeling awkward and embarrassed and uncomfortable with how way-too-personal they’ve reached with all this sex stuff.

“Just spit it out. I’ve sprayed all over your room. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Sousuke sighs. “When you knot... does it hurt them? Have you ever hurt Rin?”

“Not in heat... at least after the first time. But otherwise... yeah. I try not to but it’s hard.It was bad, one time... I wish I’d had one of these then.”

That settles it for Sousuke and they step forward to the register. It’s just a loop around the back of the first row of booths to get to the food court now and he can’t wait to get there.

Rin and his family are already waiting at the fountain, several bags of gifts between them and warm drinks already in hand. Haru can’t help speeding up to get there sooner. He wants to hold Rin right now and not let go. His scent is slightly tainted with wood and wax and traces of all the other weird things he might have picked up or brushed by while he’s been shopping.

Haru locks their necks together, refreshing it, so he can dive his nose in and finally feel better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, writing this fic makes me feel FILTHY.   
> Good thing I don't have standards.   
> My friend from work took me to a church thing on Thursday. Maybe she found this and thinks I need help.


	15. Chapter 15

Well, this isn’t what Sousuke wanted.

He had such visions of opening the door and Momo leaping up into his arms, showering him with kisses, moving over to the bed for a long awaited make-out session. But Momo’s in the shower, so he’s just gonna have to wait. There’s time at least to wrap Momo’s present and hide the, uh... _other_ things he’s gotten, that probably don’t count as presents. The butt plugs might but he’s not sure he wants Momo unwrapping those without a proper talking to first.

He lies on the bed, having completely claimed the bottom bunk purely for convenience, and just... waits. There’s not many people left in the dorm for the holidays, but he knows almost all that are are Omegas. He can smell the sex from what must be newly formed couples, getting all emotive and excited with Christmas and being unable to resist.

Even Sousuke has plans. He and Momo have been so delicate and gentle with each other since their talk, and he misses how they were. He wants to lick his glands until he goes to pieces in his arms. And he wants more. He wants to touch him, explore him, and lie back and let Momo do the same. There’s something about how cheeky Rin is, how he can’t keep his hands off Haru and wants to tease him at every opportunity, to the point where Haru’s had to put his foot down once or twice to rein him in, and Sousuke doesn’t want _that_ , not to that extent, but he wants that attention. He wants his Omega to want him.

The shower is still running when the bathroom door opens, Momo emerging stark naked with his hair all smooth to his head as the conditioner soaks in. He doesn’t even notice Sousuke, going straight to the desk and picking up his comb. He drops it in surprise when he turns and see’s Sou. Whatever hopes he was having of a romantic reunion are shattered when he squeaks, covers himself, and freezes to the spot. His face is going redder and redder, like he’s about to combust, and all Sousuke can do is try not to laugh.

“Hey,” he says, casually, still looking at Momo.

He’s at such a funny stage. Still young and scrawny, but the muscles are there, the shape is there, and he’s just on that cusp of _sexy_.

But mostly just fucking adorable with how he has no idea what to do with himself.

“Miss me?” Sousuke sits up a little. He wants Momo to come to him, not have to pull him over.

Momo opens his mouth like he’s going to speak, and then gives up. He’s in Sousuke’s lap the very next second, wrapping his legs around him, lips locked together, whimpering into Sousuke’s mouth. Sousuke lets his hands travel, roaming over Momo’s back and sides and _feeling_ him, pressing him close and taking more of his kiss than he’s ever dared before.

“You have the _worst_ timing,” Momo scolds, whining.

“I’d call this pretty good timing, actually,” Sousuke laughs a little, mostly into Momo’s neck where he’s breathing in the scent. Just rubbing his own glands there doesn’t do nearly as good a job as a proper marking. It was only yesterday morning they were together, and Sousuke can barely smell himself. Though the shower won’t have helped...

“My shower...” Momo murmurs, torn. “My _hair_ ,” he continues, suddenly more motivated to leave Sousuke’s lap than Sousuke would like.

“Mind if I join you?” Sousuke startles himself when he says it but... yeah, actually, _yeah he does want to join him_.

“Um...” Momo has his hands on Sousuke’s shoulders and his nails have just dug in. “Why?”

“Because I want to,” Sousuke says. The answer is easy, now that he’s decided to just jump right in the deep end and enjoy Momo as much as he likes.

Momo nods. He doesn’t look comfortable, but he gets up and stands at the bathroom door, holding it open and looking over his shoulder. He waits until Sousuke’s behind him, almost touching him, before leading them both inside. Sousuke locks the door. It’s a shame there’s no chair in here to barricade it with.

He’s so cute, leaning on the sink with his weight on his left so his ass is jutting out just _so_ while he combs the conditioner through his hair. Sousuke watches while he takes his clothes off. He’s almost fully hard but... Momo’s gonna see it eventually anyway. He could go behind him and prod him with it but... he’s just gonna stand here. Waiting. Momo can clearly see him in the mirror, he keeps glancing up and a little smile is tickling the corner of his lips. He can’t hide his smile at all when he turns to see Sousuke in all his glory, trying desperately hard to keep eye contact.

Sousuke’s just trying not to pin him to the wall.

“I’d have done that for you,” he offers. “I like your hair.”

Momo’s blushing. “You can rinse it out for me, if you want...”

“Anything you want,” he nods. Doesn’t he just sound like Haru?

The shower cubicle isn’t _large_ by any means, but neither is Momo, slotting so easily in front of Sousuke. He can see his hands twitching. They’re _both_ hard now. The shower is doing nothing to wash away this tension.

“Touch it, if you want,” Sousuke purrs into Momo’s ear. He’s still running his fingers through his hair under the spray, but one hand has set to wandering to his neck, tickling his glands, and it’s about to continue on a journey down his back.

He doesn’t touch his dick, but he _does_ start tentatively holding onto Sousuke’s sides. His eyes are closed, head leaned back for Sousuke to kiss at his neck.

“Are we going to...” his voice is wavering, scared.

“Not yet,” Sousuke says, trying to be gentle.

He focuses on kissing Momo’s neck while he slides his hands down and cups his ass. There’s nothing there to squeeze, but he can knead with his finger tips while Momo melts into him. He guides Momo to rub against him, just a little, dicks rubbing together. He knows Momo won’t need much, but Sousuke wants more. He wants to feel it.

He catches Momo’s load in his hand when he cums. Momo jumps at the contact, but it only makes him shoot again. The shower washes it away too fast. Sousuke’s shaking with the smell, so much temptation right here in his arms, and it would be so, _so_ easy to ignore his conscience and just _have_ him.

Momo’s gasping, needing Sousuke for balance, who’s only too happy to turn him around and let him lean on him. His cock’s rubbing right up his ass crack. Momo’s moaning like he likes it.

“What do I do?” he whispers.

He’s not asking for permission, he’s seeking _instruction._ The Omega’s need for guidance and approval.

“Get on your knees,” Sousuke tells him, from somewhere.

And of course Momo does as he’s told, staring up past Sousuke’s cock and into his eyes for his next instruction.

“Suck it.”

_Shit_.

 

Haru’s tired of cooking. Like, _reeeal_ tried of it. He’s made a big breakfast and a table full of snacks to graze on so far today, and he’s still got to do Christmas dinner. There’s a large leg of lamb in the oven (well, it’s been there since dawn, slowly roasting on a low heat), everything that needs to be peeled is peeled and waiting to hit the boil, and the batter for the Yorkshires is resting in the fridge. Breathe, Haru. It’s only Christmas with your new family.

Three of whom have been stuck in front of the Play Station Haru got for Rin all day, one’s a little bit drunk in the armchair, and the last one is reading his new book.

“Do you want another drink?” Haru crouches by his side.

“No thank you, Haruka-senpai,” Rei lifts his head up, smiling. “You’ve worked so hard all day.”

Haru nods and kneels down fully, sticking his nose in Rei’s hair just for a second. Rei doesn’t come to him for affection like Nagisa does, but Haru hasn’t worked out why. He’s just as needy as Nagisa, even if he’s more reserved about it and gets what he needs from Nagisa. Is he just nervous? Haru fits himself around him, Rei between his legs, and leans forward onto his back, arms around his stomach.

“Do you need something, senpai?” Rei’s voice wavers, probably confused.

“I need you to start calling me Haru,” Haru grunts.

He can see over Rei’s shoulder that the game has been paused and Rin has poked Nagisa in the shoulder to get him to look over. There’s an odd mix of jealousy and adoration on both their faces. Kisumi takes a quick glance, un-pauses the game, and shoots both their characters while he has the chance.

Makoto snorts a laugh from the back.

“Kisumi!” Rin whines. Haru ignores the pleading look he sends. “Makoto! Tell him not to cheat!”

“I’m not getting involved. You boys can fight your own battles.”

“Makoto!” and Rin is up on his feet, feet poking out from his new tiger onesie from Makoto, and racing over before Kisumi can get there first.

But Kisumi’s legs are longer, and he doesn’t need that extra second to glance at Haru before he crawls into Makoto’s lap. And of course, Nagisa doesn’t want to be left out.

“Help,” Makoto squeaks.

Haru can’t see what they’re doing to him, but he’s finding it just as amusing as they are. “They’re your problem now,” he says. “I’ll keep the nice one.”

“Hey!” Rin yells from the pile. “I’m nice!”

“But look what you’re doing to Makoto.”

“Self defense!”

 

Rin and Rei help Haru to serve up. The others just can’t be trusted. He’s proud of the feast he’s put together for his new family. He likes sitting wedged tightly between Makoto and Rin, both of them going over the top with their hugs and thanks and praise. It’s almost embarrassing, and would be, if he wasn’t actually a little proud of himself as well.

How Makoto and Nagisa are managing to pick at the dessert selection after everything they just ate, Haru has no idea. He and Rin move to the side, leaning against the wall, being gentle enough with each other not to lean on full bellies. But still touching. Always touching.

“I have other things to show you later,” Haru whispers. He takes Rin’s hand and their bracelets clink together. He still can’t believe they got the exact same thing for each other.

“Oh?” Rin’s grinning. “Sexy presents?”

“Shh,” Haru hisses. “When those two go to bed,” he adds, nodding at the Beta couple.

Makoto and Kisumi will be staying the night at Makoto’s, no doubt clearing up the leftovers from the family dinner like they’ve not eaten all day. Haru wants a bigger house. A third bedroom. He wants everyone to stay together. He leans on Rin’s shoulder. _Soon_. Well. Sort of soon. When Nagisa and Rei come to university with them. Maybe just a bigger bed so the four of them can fit. They can just have sex in the bath.

Kisumi’s taking pictures. He’s focusing on Rin and Haru now, and Rin’s playing along. Haru’s ignoring all of them, building his dream house in his head. Rin’s posing around him, on him, forcing his arms or legs into positions here and there. Haru kisses back when Rin plants one on him before he realises Kisumi’s taking pictures of this, too.

And he’s strangely ok with it. Their first Christmas.

 

They have to whisper. Haru’s peeked in on his Beta’s and is _fairly_ sure they’re asleep, but he’s still a little embarrassed of the bag hidden under his bed.

Rin’s sitting and waiting for him, blanket around his shoulders, big grin on his face. Haru says nothing when he walks past him to get the bag out and sits across from him.

“Don’t laugh.”

“I won’t laugh,” Rin says, smiling, innocent.

“Don’t be mad.”

“I won’t be mad.”

He hands the bag over and lets Rin take the three items out one by one. He reaches the biggest first, the glass dildo. His face burns red but he sets it aside, not saying a thing, just a little smile on his face. Then the box of bands. He _grins_ now. Obviously thinking the same thing as Haru when he picked them up. But then there’s the masks, and now he just looks concerned.

He doesn’t look angry and he doesn’t look upset, but he’s turning the box over in his hands and trying to word a response while Haru just has to sit here and wait.

“Um...” Rin starts. Haru winces. “W-why?”

“Just in case,” is all Haru can come up with. It’s all he’s got for himself, too. “Seemed like a good idea.”

“In case of _what?_ What could happen that I’m not allowed to be awake for?”

“If you’re sick... or sore... what if I can’t be there with you and you need something?”

Rin frowns. “So you’d leave me unconscious and alone. Where? In Tokyo?”

“No... just. Just in case. Because it makes me feel better. And only if you agree to it.”

“And? I feel like there’s an _and_.”

“We wanted to test them,” Haru sighs. “Makoto, Sousuke and me... while there’s no emergency to use them and we can figure them out.”

“Right. So _I’m_ the guinea pig?! Why not use Momo?!” Rin’s raising his voice, getting upset.

Haru grabs his hand. “Shh. Trust me. I’d be right there. They could be too, if you wanted. Just for a few minutes, maybe.”

“Do I even have a choice?” Rin spits.

“You always have a choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think my own embarrassment of this fic is preventing me from writing it to the proper standard.

**Author's Note:**

> So like 10 hours later, let's add some notes to this thing.  
> I wanted to have a stab at an Omegaverse thanks to maybeillride's awesome one (Boundary Waters, go and read it).  
> I intended to explore the animalistic side but... it's me, and I got to a fluffy bit and spiraled out of control, so I completely missed what I aimed for.  
> This was just an hour and a half's effort because I woke up too early (5am), so mayb's had replied to a query I had on this thing, and couldn't NOT write it... and ended up finishing it and STILL made it to work before 7!
> 
> Leave me love, hit me up as daxii on tumblr.


End file.
